Everything Old Is New Again
by CatwomanNY
Summary: Martin meets his old high school crush and things heat up. Can they make a long distance relationship work? What will happen when she becomes the missing person the team needs to search for? Rated M for sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**_

_No infringement of any kind is implied. I am most grateful for the opportunity to play with the characters of "Without a Trace", especially Martin Fitzgerald. Lillian Rose Anderson and her clan do belong to me, however, so I would appreciate an invitation request if you would like her to come out and play. In addition, there are no real spoilers, unless you haven't heard that Martin is a recovering drug addict (ah, the beauties of a flawed man) and he and Sam are history (which made me very happy and most very upset). (Sorry…guess you know now.)_

_A word of warning for those unfamiliar with my stories, I do not write for the faint of heart and those under the age of 18 (though I was reading, and writing, this stuff at 14, but I have always been mature for my age) so be warned. I get graphic…very graphic…if that doesn't bother you, enjoy! Oh, and I love reviews, good and bad, but try to be kind. Thx!_

It was a hot summer evening when Martin saw the familiar face across the expansive banquet hall. He hadn't seen her in years. Her hair was a little longer, but still as jet black. Her eyes were still as blue. Her radiant features were the same and when he saw her smile he knew it had to be her. "Hi Lily." He smiled as he stood behind her at the bar. "I see you got dragged here as well."

"Oh my God, Martin Fitzgerald!" She spun around and hugged her old friend. "How have you been? Better question, how long has it been?"

"I was still at Quantico and you were at Georgetown Law."

"Wow, that's right." They sat down at a small table as she laughed. "And I think it was at one of these stupid parties our parents insist on getting us invited to. So, what division did you wind up with?"

"Originally, I was with White Collar in Seattle, but I'm now with Missing Persons."

"Oh, Jack Malone's team?"

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

She pulled out her wallet from her purse and smiled as she flashed her DOJ badge. "I've worked with Jack before, but never knew you were with him."

"Yeah, about five years now. Why didn't you look me up when got to New York?"

"Because I'm based out of D.C. and live in Virginia." She smiled back. "It seems that your AUSA referred him to me because your missing person was working for someone I had under indictment." She touched his hand. "Don't worry, Secret Agent Man, I'd be happy to bother you if they ever transfer me to the Big Apple."

Martin laughed. He'd known Lily for the better part of their lives, their parents becoming close because of the small D.C. community, and they had both always hated politics. Judging from her designer gown and prestigious position, though, she'd learned to master the game.

January 1st found Lily dialing a now familiar cell phone number from her hotel room. "Hey, Secret Agent Man, it's me. I arrived this morning and wanted to take you up on your offer of lunch." She said to his voice mail. "I'm at the Marriott in Room 349."

Martin grinned as he checked his messages. She'd told him after Christmas that she and her team were going to be coming up to New York to interview a potential witness so he offered to take her to around. Though she had said that she didn't know if she would be able to, he cleared his schedule because he knew she would try. "Hey, Tiger Lily." He called her back. "How was your flight?"

"The pilot got us in early, which is always a good thing, but you don't want to hear about that. Where were you when I called?"

"I went for my morning run a little late, but now I'm about to knock on your door."

"Right on time." Lily opened the door and hugged her friend, enjoying the warm embrace she received in return. "So, Agent Fitzgerald, where to first?"

He was admiring her casual wear as he answered. Her white blouse was tailored to hug her beautiful curves and her blue jeans were the same way, accenting her perfectly toned legs and shapely hips. Placing his arm around her shoulders, they walked out to see 'his New York' as she had called it during their frequent phone calls.

As they walked to dinner later that night, Lily clung to her friend's arm, using his warmth, and smiling the same contented smile that had been on her face all day. It hadn't occurred to her how much she enjoyed, and had missed, his company until they'd spent the better part of a day with him. They'd been friendly, maybe even close, when they were younger, but they'd drifted apart until he'd come up to her at the party over the summer. "Please, Martin, tell me we're almost there."

He laughed and pulled her closer. "You're still cold?"

"Yes, I'm still cold. We don't get winter like this in Arlington."

"I don't remember you being a Southern Belle when we were growing up."

"Shut up, Martin, and let's just keep walking." She smirked as he laughed, but, as he wrapped his arm and coat around her, his cell rang, and she felt him sigh. "We can go to dinner before I leave. Business always comes before pleasure."

Answering the offending device, Martin was grateful it was just a paperwork issue. "Come with me and we'll grab dinner after." He could see the hesitation in her beautiful blue eyes. "It'll just be a quick minute."

"As long as you're not going to get in trouble bringing me along."

"You're a legal attaché to Congress, Lily, not an operative for a terrorist organization." She laughed and he hailed a cab. "Hey Sam." Martin greeted the blonde agent as he walked into to bullpen.

Special Agent Samantha Spade watched as Martin walked into the office holding hands with a beautiful raven-haired woman and she fought the jealousy that was rising up in her. "Samantha Spade."

Lily shook the other woman's hand with a smile. "Lily Anderson. I'm an old friend of Martin's."

She wanted to say that he'd never mentioned her, but they weren't dating anymore. It wasn't her concern anymore. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry to have to pull you away from your day with him."

"I'm an attorney down in D.C. I understand what it's like not to have a nine to five."

"Oh, you're visiting for the holiday?"

They sat down at the conference table. "Sort of. I have interviews with a few potential witnesses tomorrow, but decided to come up a day early to spend some time with Martin."

"How long have you two known each other?"

"We met when we were kids, but fell out of touch until about six months ago. I don't know how long that would quantify as." She smiled and leaned closer so she could whisper. "How long did you and he date?"

"About a year." Samantha blushed. "Was it that obvious?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, he and I are just friends. There may still be hope."

"I doubt it." She looked away before standing up and extending her hand. "It was good to meet you, Lily. Enjoy your visit."

Martin took her hand again after finishing his paperwork. "Where are you in the mood for?"

"Wherever you think is the best." She grinned as they walked to the elevator. "I would have dressed better if you had told me you were going to parade me in front of your ex." She laughed as she whispered in his ear.

"You are dressed spectacularly and I didn't know you were being paraded."

The elevator doors closed and she laughed again. "I was being paraded, but that's alright. I don't think you knew that she was going to interrogate me. I just wish you had given me some sort of heads up as to who she was so I could have done a better job of showing Samantha what she threw away."

Martin laughed. "Tiger Lily, you had to do nothing of the sort. Sam and I have been over for over a year. I've moved on."

"She hasn't." She smirked again and kept hold of his hand as they left the building.


	2. Chapter 2

Four months later, Martin stepped off the train in Union Station and smiled when he saw the beautiful raven-haired woman clad in the same white blouse and blue jeans he'd left her in at her hotel in January. For the next three days, he was going to be all hers and he was looking forward to it. It had taken some considerable effort on her part, but she'd finally convinced him to take a few days and let her show him around the D.C. she knew. As he hugged her, it seemed like the best idea he'd ever been talked into having.

That night Lily knocked on the door to the guest bedroom of her apartment and smiled as she stuck her head in. "Is everything OK?" Did you find what you needed?"

"I'm fine, thanks." He grinned when he noticed the t-shirt she was wearing. It was faded, but it hadn't really changed since the night he'd given it to her. "You kept that old thing?"

"Of course I kept it. It's just now broken in and comfortable."

He patted the bed next to him and she didn't hesitate to join him, placing her head against his shoulder. "Those aren't the pants I gave you when you spent the night with me at Quantico."

"No, those bit the dust a few years ago after they got snagged on my mother's rose bushes one night while I was walking. These I borrowed from my father when I was staying at 'the mansion on the hill' over Christmas."

He laughed with her before smoothing her hair back and kissing her temple. "How are your folks?"

"Don't ask or I'll ask about yours."

"Fair enough." He laughed again.

"You know, this is how we got in trouble when we were kids."

"Good thing we aren't twelve and there are no adults around."

"Oh goodie. I'm not a big fan of adults."

"I think we safely left them at the train station." She snuggled closer to him as they fell into a comfortable silence. He'd missed her childish glee and her laid back personality. With Lily, he didn't have to be Special Agent Martin Fitzgerald, he could just be Martin, and, with her help, find the humorous side of what could be very stressful situations. Her ability to make his smile when he didn't think he would ever smile again was unbelievable, and he was grateful. As his fingers gently made tracks in her hair, they fell asleep with Lily nestled perfectly in his arms.

The next morning, Lily awoke as Martin attempted to gently slide his arm out from under her pillow. "Where are you going?"

"To take a shower and get dressed."

She took hold of his strong hand and pulled him back around her. "Everything will still be there in fifteen minutes. It's still too early."

"OK." He couldn't argue. She felt too good in his arms.

"You don't remember this place, do you?" Lily smirked as she stopped the car.

"Lil, last time I was at any of these places we were pre-pubescent kids." He couldn't help but laugh at the sparkle in her eyes. They'd stopped at two spots he vaguely remembered as their childhood hangouts, but the old estate they'd pulled up to wasn't ringing any bells.

"Think about when we were twelve years old and your parents took their European jaunt without you."

"This is your grandfather's old place?"

"Yeah, only now it belongs to my father." She shut off the engine and grabbed her purse. "I actually need to take care of a few things while they are in London. I'll be about an hour if you want Melinda to make you some lunch."

"No wonder you referred to this place as the mansion on the hill." Martin laughed slightly as they walked up the great stone staircase, but he winced on the last step, his hip injury bothering him.

"Hey Bobby." Hugging the butler, the same man who had worked for her grandfather while she was growing up, she nodded to the man who had been holding her hand all day. "You remember,"

"Master Fitzgerald, of course." He finished with his British accent.

"You are better than even I give you credit for." She smiled and shook her head. "Robert, I'm going into Daddy's study for a little while and I was wondering if you could show Martin to my old room and maybe find something to ease his aches and pains."

Martin quickly shook his head. "No, I'll be fine, thank you. It's just those stairs that aggravated an old injury."

"Hon, you've been in pain for the last hour. I'm driving so you don't have to worry."

"Just a couple of Motrin will be fine, thank you, Robert." He waited until the older man left. "Tiger Lily, I'm about to get my one year cake from NA. I have plenty to worry about if I were to take you up on your offer." Her face lost all color and he placed his ands on her shoulders. "Lil, it's not something I tattoo on my forehead, you could never had known."

As he hugged her, she found her voice. "Martin, I am mortified. I never meant anything by it."

"I know you didn't." He kissed her forehead. "I will take you up on your offer of some of Melinda's famous homemade goodies, though." She finally smiled again and he followed her into her father's office. "The inner sanctum hasn't changed since we used to sneak in here to steal your grandfather's cigars when we were teenagers."

"And that's why you are going to lay back on the most comfortable couch in the house, where we were busted for sitting a little too close together when we were twelve, and allow Bobby to bring you whatever you need. We don't have to be anywhere until seven-thirty tonight."

After two Motrin and four of the best chocolate chip cookies he'd ever eaten, his pain began to subside so he rested and watched as Lily worked. Her long raven tresses were tied on top of her head with two pencils after ten minutes, the loose strands being tucked behind her ears, and he noticed just how flawless her smooth porcelain skin was. "Hmm?" He'd been so lost in her beauty that he hadn't heard what she had asked him.

She looked up from the check register she was working on with a frown. "I'm sorry. Were you asleep?"

"No, I was just admiring your look."

"Now I know you were dreaming because I look like hell right now." They shared a laugh. "What I asked was do you want me to have Bobby start the hot tub for you?"

"No, I'm OK, Lil. Stop worrying."

"I like worrying and I'll have you know that I'm quite good at it, as was my mother before me." She laughed again. "Are you sure you don't want to soak in the tub? It feels really good on sore muscles." He shook his head and she shrugged as she went back to work.

That night at dinner, as they laughed and talked about everything from new cases to old memories, Martin found himself drawn to her. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. He'd felt it back when they were in their teens and twenties, but he had never had the confidence to act on it. That was then, though, and, as they talked, he gently leaned in and kissed her sweet red lips. Lily Anderson was a beautiful woman and they'd become closer in the past nine months than they had been when they were younger and he didn't want to just sit around and wonder any longer.

"Um, wow," Lily blushed as she tired to regain her composure, "what was that for?"

"It's something I should have done years ago, Lil. You are a beautiful woman who takes my breath away, who I enjoy being around, and I want to take our friendship to the next level."

"I think we've established that."

"Lil, I didn't mean to push, but,"

She placed her finger over his lips. "No, Martin, you didn't push. Not in the least. In fact, I really wish you had done that when we were kids because I had such a crush on you." She blushed again as she looked away and he took her hand. "I just never thought I was your type. I'm not blonde, I'm not gorgeous, and I'm not mysterious. I'm like an old storybook you've read a hundred times and can recite by heart. I'm not new."

"You are incredibly gorgeous, Tiger Lily, and you are new. There's so much that I have yet to find out about you. We lost touch for so long yet I feel like we never lost that connection. Besides, mysterious is over-rated. I want you. I want someone who is beautiful, confident, intelligent, warm, and inviting. There's something to be said about a really good book that you've read a few times. It's comforting and yet it's exciting because there are parts that you forget, parts that seem to come alive, and you always know that it's going to make you smile, but you're not an old book, Lil, you've added a few chapters that I haven't read yet."

"Just tell me this isn't going to make things weird between us, Martin. I don't want to wake up one day and regret that we did this because I can't seem to talk to you anymore without getting silly."

"It won't get weird, Lil, I promise. We aren't kids anymore."

"Bite your tongue. I refuse to grow up."

"I've noticed." He laughed as she pretended to glare at him.

"I've noticed that I don't live in New York. I'm game for a long distance thing if you are though."

"It doesn't bother me. I'm not going to let you get away again." He kissed her hand though he came to rue those words. Being three hours away by train, two hours by plane, from her began to wear thin when he wanted to see her for a weekend, to take her out for an evening, or just to see her after a bad day.

Lily felt the strain as well. They talked almost every day, but it just wasn't the same. She found herself actually missing him and caught a shuttle up to New York three weeks after he'd left just to surprise him for a weekend. Two weeks later, she answered her apartment door and found Martin leaning against the doorjamb. "Hey Secret Agent Man."

"Hey there, Tiger Lily." It had just been a horrendous week and he needed to see the smile that greeted him. As he stepped inside, he kissed her deeply, and suddenly all the ills of the horrific case he'd just wrapped up were gone. All that mattered, all that filled his senses, his mind, was her, and that was all he concentrated on for the remainder of the night.

The next morning, as she lay in his arms, her naked body pressed against his, she smiled. Originally, she was so scared that dating would ruin their friendship, but just the opposite had occurred. She felt closer to him. There was no more need to censor, to watch what she said, because they knew everything about each other. They truly were best friends and it just heightened their physical and emotional connection.


	3. Chapter 3

After that, Martin found himself traveling down to her apartment every chance he got, and by June, they were seeing each other every other weekend, but after clearing a case involving a small child, a child they couldn't save, Martin went right from the office to Penn Station. He hadn't seen Lily in almost three weeks, both of them working on cases that hadn't allowed them to get away, and he needed to see her smile to tell him there was good in the world.

"Morning." Lily smiled as she felt him stirring the next morning.

"Morning." He stretched. "I missed you."

"I got that."

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "It was a bad case."

"It's over now."

"And I'm here with you."

"For how long?"

He laughed again and kissed her lips. "For the weekend or until you kick me out."

It was her turn to laugh. "You will have to be here longer than a weekend for me to kick you out." He kissed her again, but she pulled away when the phone rang. "Hold that thought."

"Business before pleasure." He kissed her one last time. "I'm going to grab a shower."

"Anderson." She answered the phone with a smile as she watched Martin walk across the room, but it faded when she heard her assistant on the other end of the phone. "Diane, slow down, what's wrong?"

"Jeff's wife went into labor this morning so he's not going to be able to attend tonight's function."

"What about Kevin?"

"He took the week off to go visit his dying sister in Colorado, remember?"

She shook her head and sighed. "That's right. OK, I guess that does leave only me. Rearrange the car arrangements to be at my place by five and just stay by your phone for the next hour because I may need you to find me a tailor."

"Everything alright?" Martin asked ten minutes later.

"Not really and I really hate to ask this of you since I know you came down here to relax, but do you have a suit with you?"

"Just the one I was wearing when I came down here. Why?"

"My associate's wife went into labor early and he had to back out of a dinner event that is scheduled for tonight. Someone from my office does have to be in attendance and I'm the only one available. I really hate to ask this but,"

He kissed her. "I would be happy to be your date." She laughed. "I came down here to spend time with you. If that means that I have to subject myself to a political event, then so be it. Besides, I've never been arm candy before."

She laughed again. "Does that mean I get to introduce you as my boy toy?"

"Boy toy?" He laughed and she squealed as he climbed onto the bed, pinning her beneath him, kissing her before taking her into his arms again. "What time is this function? I may have to borrow a suit from my father."

Lily cringed. "No, we can find you a nice pair of slacks and an Oxford. I have an assistant with a pipeline to the almighty. Please, I've had enough dealings with your father in the last two weeks."

"Oh, this you haven't told me."

"His office is handling the background check on my family since Daddy is up for an ambassadorship. He seems to want to make sure that Daddy's great-great-great grandfather wasn't a British sympathizer." She rolled his eyes and he kissed her forehead. "Cocktails start at five and dinner is at six."

"Well, let me get dressed and I'll take you to breakfast before we have to go running around trying to find a one hour dry cleaner open on Saturday."

The limo picked them up at five and drove them to the Virginia estate of the senator who replaced her father as the senator from Virginia fifteen years ago. It was an estate she knew well since her father had hand selected Senator George when he decided to retire and now she returned to meet with him and his colleagues from the Judicial Subcommittee in her official capacity. It was disguised as a dinner party at the end of the term, but they were going to discuss what hearings they were going to hold during the fall session, and she was grateful that Martin was a FBI agent that didn't have to worry about the security that was going to be at the door. She had to bring a date so the press didn't stake the place out, but, because of the security check, she'd always gone in alone previous years, afraid her dates were either not going to pass or they were going to feel emasculated by the fact that she had higher clearance than they did.

Martin pulled out his credentials and smiled at the woman in the FBI signature black suit and security wand. "Inside my left ankle." He said, referencing his off duty weapon, and stood in the usual position, legs spread, arms out, waiting to get the go ahead. The agent waved the metal detector, frisked him, and scanned his fingerprint before nodding at him. "Do you have to go security like this for all dinner parties?" He whispered with a smirk as they were escorted into the expansive rear garden.

"This isn't your standard dinner party."

"What did I just walk into?"

"A meeting of the Judicial Subcommittee and that's all I can say." She squeezed his hand. "Are you going to run away screaming now?"

He laughed. "I think I'll survive."

"Good because after dinner and before dessert, I'm going to have to abandon you with all the other spouses while we go into a closed door meeting. Sorry."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he kissed her temple. "It's fine. Business before pleasure."

"Thank you."

By eleven, they were walking back into Lily's apartment, and Martin was still smiling. It had actually been nice seeing her in her element and able to hold her own with some of the toughest political men he'd ever encountered. When they had been kids, she had hated that game, hated how phony everyone was, how they were only out for self-promotion, and they had both learned how to stay out of the way while still getting what they wanted. Now that they were adults, he couldn't get a senator to answer the phone, and she was having dinner with the Judicial Subcommittee of Congress. She'd mastered the game, but it was in her blood. Her father had been a senator from Virginia when they were growing up, her grandfather was the ambassador to England at one point in the past, he couldn't remember, and everyone had known that Lily Anderson was going to grow up to work in the political arena, even if she didn't know it herself. "That was fun."

Lily laughed. "Maybe for you since you were the most stimulating conversation those women have had in quite awhile. You were certainly better looking than most of their husbands."

"I actually was talking to Senator Childs' husband for most of the time you were in your little meeting. He works with DHS."

"Yeah, I know, I've worked with him before. He's a decent guy." She tossed her purse onto a chair and flopped down on the couch with a sigh. "I really want to go to bed, but I'm betting that our phones are going to ring simultaneously in about five minutes."

He sat next to her and took her into his arms. "Why is that?"

"Washington, even Arlington, Virginia, is a very small town, Honey. Our parents are about to be woken up to be told that we're attending political dinner parties together and are more than friends."

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not for me. I've learned to deal with my parents. What about for you?"

Leaning closer, he kissed her softly. "No problem here." It was so nice to finally be with a woman who wasn't afraid to make their relationship public. Samantha had been so afraid about being judged that he had been afraid to look at her. Lily was just the opposite. She was warm and open about everything. Everyone, even everyone at that the political event, knew where they stood with her. She was poised and confident and didn't concern herself with what others thought of her. She was a strong and independent woman, and always had been.

As if on queue, five minutes later, both of their phones rang, and her mother's voice came through the receiver. "Hi Mom."

"Young Lady, I have to hear from Todd George's wife that my daughter is dating, and dating the son of the deputy director of the FBI at that. Why did I hear this from Mary Lynn and not my own daughter?"

"Because we've only been dating for about three months now. I'm not hiding it, but I didn't think I needed to take out a full page ad in the Washington Post."

"Don't get smart with me, Lillian Rose."

"I didn't mean to get smart with you, Mom. I'm sorry. I just don't think that I need to run and tell my parents about every new relationship."

"If you are going to be showing up at events with him, then, yes, we do need to be kept apprised so we aren't caught unawares."

"Mom," she suddenly felt like she was sixteen again, "why do you need to be kept apprised of my social life just because I dragged him to a function with Senator George?"

"Lillian," her mother sighed, "you know how this works by now. You are a reflection on us and with your father's impending ambassadorship we have to be careful with whom we associate. Now, Director Fitzgerald's boy is a good man, I remember him from when you were younger, and he is an FBI agent in his own right, but if this doesn't work, please be more careful next time."

"Yes, Mother." She laughed as she hung up and Martin came back in from the balcony. "OK, spill. How bad did you get it?"

He laughed and sank into the couch. "I should have told him. They approve, but his office is going to have to look into my OPR file because of your father's pending appointment, and I need to be careful because your family is very powerful and if this ends badly it could interfere with my career."

She laughed. "Yes, because my father has nothing better to do than to mess with your career."

"That's what I told him. I also told him that we've only been officially dating for three months."

"Officially? Because we were unofficially dating before that?""

"Well, when we were in high school, everyone thought we were dating, and you did have a huge crush on me."

She smirked at him as he grinned. "Well, I thought the feeling was mutual, but you never did anything about it until three months ago. So, I don't think we can say that we were unofficially dating back then."

"OK, whatever." He laughed and kissed her. "What did your mother have to say?"

"That I should have cleared it with them and your father's office before we started seeing each other. You are a good man, and she approves, but if this doesn't work out, then I need to be more careful with my next choice." She rolled her eyes and he laughed again. "You'd think we were getting married."

"Not the worst idea I've ever heard."

She looked at him shocked. "Martin, we've been seeing each other for three months. We don't even live in the same city. Let's work out the logistics of our current relationship before we start talking about anything more serious."

"OK, then let's negotiate." He pulled her into his arms. "I'll come down here every two weeks, if I'm not working on a case, and you can come up to see me on the other two week intervals, provided you're not working on a case."

"Mmm, I like that." She kissed him. "I really want you to come down here every other week and I'll go to New York on the opposite weeks, but I guess that would get to be too much."

"No, that's not too much, but it might be too expensive."

"I guess. OK, since I have to be unhappy with this deal, then you do to because the summer is coming and I want to be on your arm for every state gala function that I'm invited to. I think I look good on your arm so you have to try and make as many functions as Jack will allow you to get away for."

"You do look good on my arm, but I know how those invites can add up. I would practically be commuting from here to New York."

"A good negotiation leaves all parties satisfied, but unhappy." He kissed her as she smirked. "I did say you only had to make the ones that Jack would let you out for."

"I'm suddenly getting this feeling that he's not going to allow me to get away all that often in the middle of the week." She laughed and he kissed her nose. "How about we compromise and say that I'll make two functions a month and I will never complain about attending if I'm down here anyway?"

"Then you will be getting exactly what you want and I won't get what I want."

"Tell me what you want."

"You, every weekend, either here or in New York, I don't care."

"Done." He kissed her nose again. "I can't fight you on that. I'll come down here every weekend if I only have to attend two political galas a month."

"You would have made a great lawyer." She kissed him as he laughed. "You've got a deal. I'll have my assistant draft the papers on Monday." They shared a laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

Tuesday afternoon, Martin looked up from his desk to see a beautiful raven-haired woman in a black designer pantsuit stepping off the elevator. It couldn't be the woman from D.C. he thought it was, she would have called him to tell him she was coming, and she hadn't called. She was walking to Jack's office with the same confident glide though, but he shook it off. It couldn't be Lily, no matter how much he wanted it to be.

"Jack Malone?" Lily stuck her head in office.

"That's the name on the door." The man behind the desk quipped as he looked up.

"You are still a sarcastic son of a bitch. Good to know that some things never change." She shook his hand as she laughed.

"I'm too old to change. Lily Anderson, it is good to see you again."

"You're not going to think that in a minute."

"What case are you here for?"

"I'm bringing you a case. I need to borrow two of your agents to help me find a witness who went AWOL."

"Don't they have FBI and DHS teams in D.C. that could handle it?"

"Homeland Security is the one who lost my witness in the first place so I'm coming to you because your team is the best."

"OK, you've sufficiently buttered me up. What's the catch?"

"Who says there's a catch?"

"Lily, you came up here personally, asked to only use two of my agents, and you've stroked my ego enough to make me think whatever file you have in your briefcase only has the pronouns visible. What's the catch?"

"You're good." She smiled. Jack hadn't changed since their last case together. "The catch is that this investigation can't exist because my witness, technically, doesn't exist. This is a very sensitive case that has to do with national security. I need to limit who knows the details and I need to trust the investigators."

"It's a political hot button?"

"It is."

"That explains why you weren't asking for my help."

"Sorry, Jack, but you aren't exactly known for being politically savvy."

"No offense taken." He thought for a moment. "You can have Agents Johnson and Fitzgerald."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, but did I have a choice?"

"Not really."

Walking with her out to the bullpen, he motioned for Viv and Martin to follow him. "I'd like you both to meet Lily Anderson. Technically, she doesn't exist and the investigation you're going to be working on can't be documented or proven, but you are hers for now." Jack introduced once they were in a conference room. "Have fun."

As Jack walked out, Lily laughed. "Well, that was some introduction." Rolling her eyes, she pulled out files for the two agents, and extended her hand. "I'm Lily Anderson. I'm the legal attaché to the Judicial Subcommittee of Congress."

"Good to meet you. I'm Vivian Johnson." The older black woman smiled politely.

"Hi, Lil." Martin smiled.

"Hi, Martin." She grinned. "Martin and I are old friends." She answered Vivian's confused look. "Back to business. I need you to locate a missing witness. DHS somehow let him waltz out of a safe house I had him stashed in up here and now they can't find him. There's just one catch. Technically, who you're looking for doesn't exist. After he testifies, he was scheduled to be sent to Gitmo and that's all I can tell you."

"Forgive me, but why do you need our help to find this witness? Wouldn't this be Homeland Security's problem?" Vivian closed the file, which hadn't had more than a physical description of who they were looking for.

"You're team is the best, Agent Johnson. Needless to say, I don't trust DHS right now, and I need a team that is local. I've worked with Jack before and I know that I can trust this to be kept quiet. This is a politically charged case and sensitive to national security." The two agents nodded. "OK, then, I guess I better let you have access to the two agents who were on duty."

"I'll call SID on the way." Martin stood up.

"Apparently, I didn't make myself clear. You two are the only ones working this case. No one else is to be brought in."

"Lily, you're tying our hands. We need our techs in order to fully be able to know what happened and where your guy went."

"Talk to the DHS agents and then I'll re-evaluate the situation." She could tell neither agent was happy, but she wasn't about to compromise her case because some lab geek decided to chat up his importance in the coffee room.

He was able to convince her to allow one electronics tech to take a look at the surveillance tapes and the DHS agents' cell phone records, but he could tell that she was leery of anyone. There was a lot of information she wasn't sharing, couldn't share, and it was tearing her up inside. "Tiger Lily, when was the last time you slept?" He asked around eleven that night, eight hours after she had strolled into the FBI office.

"I'll sleep after we find this guy. My case is resting on his testimony. I trusted DHS when I knew that I shouldn't have. I need to find this witness, Martin."

"I know, but Viv is right now interviewing the hacker that obtained the GPS location of the safe house and I'm going through the agent's bank records. We'll find something. There's not much you can do at this hour."

He was right. She knew he was right and he sat down at the conference table, her pacing stopped for the moment. "I guess not." A long sigh escaped. "You know I would tell you more if I could, right? I'm not maliciously keeping information from you and Vivian."

"I know, Lil."

"There is so much that I could tell you that might help you locate him, but it will compromise my case. Nothing can compromise this case, Martin."

"I know, Lil. Get some sleep."

"I'll sleep when we find this guy." She repeated as her cell rang. "This is Lily." Agent Johnson's voice told her the news she was waiting to hear. "That is fantastic. I have two FBI agents waiting at the Marriott for him. Thank you so much, Vivian."

"She found him?"

"Yeah, he went to see his daughter." She shook her head and began boxing all the paper on the table. "Do you have a burn bag for this?"

"All of it?"

"Not a scrap of paper can survive. Please stress that to Vivian, but I think she'll know when my agents ask for her memo book."

"I'll take it to the shredder downstairs before we leave." He looked over at her. "What train are you catching in the morning?"

"I'm hoping to catch the eight o'clock shuttle out of JFK."

"That doesn't leave you a whole lot of time."

"I was only here for business. Just because I got to mix in a little pleasure doesn't change the task that I was sent up here to do." She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a white envelope with a smile. "Speaking of pleasure, here's what we were talking about over the weekend."

He laughed as he pulled out a contract with all the terms they had discussed and a monthly Amtrak pass. "You weren't kidding."

"I never kid about negotiations that intense."

Lightly kissing her before he signed, he took her hand. "And I always keep my word."


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed to work. Every Friday night Martin showed up at her apartment and she hung beautifully on his arm for several functions that he had so graciously agreed to attend with her. By July, they had decided to switch and Lily began going up to New York every weekend, but in August, their arrangement hit a snag, and Lily paced her living room one Thursday afternoon. "Martin, Honey, where are you?"

"I got caught on a case. I have to catch a later train. I'll still be there tonight. I promise, Tiger Lily."

"Martin, you promised me you'd be down here this afternoon. You know how much these events mean to my family and me. If this were a regular garden party, I wouldn't care, but this is my father's swearing in as the Ambassador to Britain."

"I know and the ceremony isn't until tomorrow. I'll be there." He was getting annoyed with why she was nagging on him about something he had already promised her he'd be there for over a month ago.

"Yeah, but the dinner with the former ambassador is tonight, remember? Eight o'clock sharp."

Martin groaned. "Damn, Honey, I'm sorry. I completely forgot."

"Go." Danny had been waiting to talk to him and heard the conversation. "I'll cover for you. Go."

"Lil, I'm leaving now. I'll see you in about three hours. I'm sorry." Hanging up, he grabbed his suitcase. "Thanks, Danny, I owe you."

"Yeah, you do, but I won't collect just yet."

Three and a half hours later, and Martin was letting himself into Lily's apartment. "The car will be here in forty-five minutes." She said as she finished putting on her makeup.

"Plenty of time to grab a shower and get dressed." He kissed her exposed shoulder as he dropped his bag. "I'm so sorry, Tiger Lily."

"We'll talk about it when you get done."

"Lil," Martin began as he dressed fifteen minutes later, "I know how important this is to you, and there is no excuse for my absentmindedness. My only defense is that I got wrapped up in a case."

"I know and I shouldn't be mad, but I am. It just seems like we both have our separate lives and then we have our together life that happens only on the weekends. Even when we are together during the week, we aren't fully together. Martin," she sat down on the bed in front of him, "I love you. I think I've loved you for as long as I've known you and I don't want to lose you again, but I'm suddenly scared that this thing we have isn't going to work the way we wanted it to."

"Lily, I know I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you back in junior high and I am willing to make this work. Maybe only seeing each other on weekends isn't working. Maybe we need to have one night a week or I need to think about commuting from down here. We'll make it work, you have my word, Sweetheart." She smiled softly and he handed her a tissue. "Don't cry. You don't want your makeup to run. We only have fifteen minutes until the car arrives." They shared a slight laugh, her blue eyes sparkling again. "That's better."

That night, Lily actually found herself enjoying herself among all the diplomats and politicos, but she could tell that Martin wasn't, and as they danced, she smiled up at him. "I'm sorry for dragging you here, but I thank you for coming."

"Tiger Lily, I'm here for you. There is no where else that I would rather be."

"Stop laying a line on me, Martin Fitzgerald." She laughed as he grinned. "I've always been able to read you like a book. Don't you remember? Especially being this close to you. You would rather be anywhere else, including the dentist getting a root canal."

"And there was a time when you would have agreed with me."

"I do agree with you. I just know all of these people so it's a little more bearable. Plus, it is my father being honored so I'm something of a princess tonight."

"You are my princess every night, Lil."

She laughed again as he did. "OK, this is what I was afraid of, Secret Agent Man. You are more concerned with flirting with me, and using really bad lines on me, than having an actual conversation."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Conversation is nice, but not when we're dancing the night away."

"You do know that you just made every woman in this room envious of me, right?"

"No, I didn't know that, but I did know that I made your father give me a rather dirty look."

"I'm old enough to have a little fun. This isn't my debutante ball."

Martin laughed as the music stopped and they walked back to their table. "Do you remember that night? I wanted to kiss you so badly."

"You should have."

"I would still be grounded, but you looked so beautiful in your white dress with your hair done up kind of how it is now. Lil, I dreamed about you descending those stairs and onto my arm for years after that."

She laughed loudly, but quickly silenced herself. "And what kind of dreams were those, Secret Agent Man?"

"The kind that teenage boys have about beautiful girls." He smirked. "I would have acted on them, but I didn't think I had a chance."

A few minutes later, her father placed his hand on her shoulder. "You need to stop having such a good time, Angel." She just smiled up at him. "May I borrow my daughter, Martin?"

"As long as you don't mind if I have the last dance, Ambassador." They had spoken on the phone numerous times and had actually come to a comfortable arrangement. Martin was sure that no one was going to be good enough for Lily in her father's eyes, but Charles Anderson had accepted that Martin treated her well and made her happy, and that was all that mattered to him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled and led his daughter to the dance floor. "You seem to be happier than the last time we spoke."

"Yeah, well, this afternoon was a stressful time, Daddy."

"You were afraid that Martin wasn't going to make it?" She was silent, not wanting to make disparaging remarks about her lover. "Trust me, if I had to send the jet up for him, you would have been on his arm tonight. No one stands my daughter up."

She laughed. "Don't worry about me, Daddy. This night is all about you."

"Soon enough it'll be about you, Angel, don't you think?"

Her smile faded. "I don't know. I love him. I would love to be married to him, but there's a lot of logistics that have to be worked out."

"You'll work them out. Your mother and I lived on different coasts and we made it work."

"Does this mean you're giving your blessing?"

"It does, Angel. I would have liked you to choose someone with a little more standing, but he is a solid man and he makes you happy."

"He does and he is very good at what he does."

"And you two have been sweet on each other since he first showed up at your school." Charles laughed at his daughter's reaction. "Don't think that I didn't notice what my only child was up to just because I was in the Senate."

"I would never think of putting anything by you, Daddy." She kissed his cheek as the music stopped. "I love you, Daddy, thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just think about it, Angel. There's a regime change that will be taking place next November. It's why I took the ambassadorship now. You might want to think about what that means for your position as well." They walked back to the table and he placed his hand on Martin's shoulder. "She is all yours again. Treat her well."

"I promise I will."

Lily smiled and took her best friend's hand. "Come for a walk with me."

"That wasn't just a dance, was it?"

"When is a dance with my father ever just a dance? He is the king of multi-tasking. Where do you think I learned it?" He laughed and they walked out onto the patio. "Martin, what would you say if said that I wanted to commute from New York?"

"I'd say that we would have to find a bigger place, but you are welcome anytime, and then I'd ask if you were sure."

"No, I'm not sure, but I'm thinking about it. Anything has to be better than just seeing each other on weekends and talking on the phone every night."

He kissed her. "What about if I transfer to DHS?"

"No, Honey, don't do that. You wouldn't be happy and we both know it."

"I would be happy. I'd be with you. I might even be working with you." He smiled.

"Yeah, but you'd be back under the shadow of your father. Believe me, I know how hard it is to get out from under that. I've worked for five years to prove that I am more than a senator's daughter." She touched his face. "You don't have to endure that for me."

He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I wouldn't be enduring anything. I would be with the woman I love."

She shook her head. "Enough lines, Martin." He smiled softly and held her against his chest. "I love you."

"I love you, Tiger Lily."

The next evening, Ambassador Charles Anderson stood silently behind Martin Fitzgerald and watched as he gazed at his daughter across the room. "Do you love her? I mean do you really love her? Would you lay down your life in order to safe hers?"

"I would, Ambassador. I love her more than that."

The younger man had spoken with hesitation and without taking his eyes off Lily. "Then you have my blessing." He placed his hand on Martin's shoulder before he walked away.

Returning to her apartment at the end of the night, Martin smiled as he took her into his arms, finally able to hold her close without her pulling away, worried more about her outfit than her pleasure, and he kissed her neck. "How does it feel to be an ambassador's daughter?" She laughed the light and airy laugh that he'd come to love and treasure. It was the sound that could melt all of his troubles away. "You looked beautiful and absolutely radiant." He laid soft caresses against her skin and felt her sigh, her knees going slightly weak as her head lay against his shoulder. "Lily," he unzipped her dress, watching it fall in a heap at her feet, her voluptuous body standing before him begging to be touched, kissed, "I love you."

Kissing his lips, her hands making quick work of his bowtie, she began unbuttoning his shirt before she spoke. "Martin, I love you more than I have ever loved any man." As she kissed a trail down his exposed chest, she listened to his breath come quicker and he led her to her bedroom where it was his turn to caress her bare skin. His touch was like an electric charge that shocked her body with each carefully positioned pulse, making her feel more alive than she had ever felt before. It had to work between them, she vowed as she felt a moan escape, because she had never felt more connected to anyone than she did to Martin Fitzgerald.

He established their rhythm, her body moving in time with his like a perfectly tuned violin, so gentle and delicate. Their music was elegant, like a beautiful symphony, all the parts playing in perfect harmony, and the finale came when she called out for him. His name floating on the night air as she reached her peak and hers followed not long after as he achieved a climax like none he had ever experienced before. The woman who slept in his arms that night was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he knew that finally. He'd waited too long and wasted too much time trying to find what he'd always had and never noticed. They connected on an intellectual level, on an emotional level, and on a physical level. One way or another, he was going to make their relationship work, he wasn't about to lose Lily Anderson again.


	6. Chapter 6

A month later, Lily received a phone call that shook her foundation and she called the one person who she knew would help her to remain calm during the crisis. "Hey Secret Agent Man."

Her voice was shaky and he walked out of the crime scene, turning all of his attention to her. "Tiger Lily, what's wrong?"

"Where are you? I'm standing outside the FBI building and the guard is telling me that you aren't upstairs. I just need to see you really quickly."

"Lily, what's wrong?" He repeated.

"I've only got an hour and a half before my flight and just really needed to see you." She heard her voice crack. "Daddy had a heart attack, Martin. No one will tell me how he is so I'm flying to London tonight and,"

"Shh," he soothed, "Sweetheart, it'll be alright. I'm on my way. Don't move." Grateful he was only in TriBeCa, he sped back to the FBI Headquarters and found her pacing the lobby, but when their eyes met, she began openly crying and he pulled her to him, holding her as close as he could. "Shh, Lil, it'll be alright. I've got you. Your father is a fighter." After a few minutes, she pulled away and he offered her his handkerchief. "When do we leave?"

"No, Martin, I'm going by myself. I don't know what's going on and you need to work. I just couldn't sit in that airport for two hours worrying. I had to see you, to hear you tell me that everything was going to be OK."

"And it will be. He's an ambassador, Lil. He's going to get the best medical care available. He'll be fine." He touched her face and kissed her softly. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?"

"No," she smiled and held his hand, "but you need to stay here and work. We both know that."

"Promise me you'll call every night." She nodded and he kissed her again. "Come on. I'll drop you back at JFK."

Lily called when she landed even though it was one in the morning back in New York. Martin had wanted her to call and she had needed to hear his voice. He'd still been at the office, not wanting to admit that he was waiting up for her call, but she was grateful. He was the one person on earth that was able to get her to refocus her energy on the positive instead of worrying about all the things that could go wrong.

Two weeks later, Martin hung up the phone with Lily with a sigh. It was so hard to listen to her and not be there to comfort her. Her father had suffered a massive heart attack and, while they wanted to move him stateside to treat him properly, he still wasn't stable enough. The doctors over in England weren't sure what had caused a healthy sixty year old man to suddenly develop heart problems and Lily was terrified she was going to lose her father all because he'd had the bad fortune to get sick in a country with socialized medicine. It tore at his heart to listen to her so distraught and he knew that she didn't want to talk about it, but she needed to and she couldn't talk to her mother. It was tearing him up inside because he wanted to fix it, he wanted to heal her pain, take away her worry and doubt, and he was sitting an ocean away.

"Hi Honey, there's nothing new to report." Lily answered her cell phone that night as she and her mother walked back from the hospital to the embassy.

"God, you look beautiful." He couldn't stop himself. She looked radiant in the soft moonlight, even if she did appear thinner and paler than when she had left The States.

She laughed. "How would you know?" As they entered the courtyard, she looked up to see the most amazing sight she'd seen in two long weeks, and ran to him, the tears streaming down her face as she flung her arms around his neck, kissing his lips.

"Shh, it's OK. I'm here now. I'm going to help you through this. It's going to be all right."

"When did you get in? Better question, please tell me you haven't checked into a hotel yet because you do know you are staying here, right?"

He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "I will go wherever you need me."

"Good because I need you here with me."

"I am all yours."

"For how long?"

"I took some emergency leave so I'm yours until you want to send me home.

"Thank you." She smiled ruefully and kissed him. "Really, Martin, thank you."

"Hey, what are friends for, Lily?" He winked at her and they walked inside. "I also called a cardiologist friend at Colombia Presbyterian and he agreed to take your father on as a patient once he's stable enough to be transported." As she looked up at him, he thought he saw a look of both confusion and awe. "Lil, Honey, he's family."

"No, he's not, but you treat him as though he were your father. Why?"

Martin leaned down and kissed her softly. "Because he's your father and he loves you almost as much as I do." She smiled, though he was sure she hadn't wanted to, and he kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "And he is a good man with a good heart that we will get fixed. I promise." She placed her head against his shoulder and they went up to her room.

He made good on that promise, though Lily wasn't quite sure how. Two days later, they learned her father was stable enough to travel and she filled out the paperwork to have him transferred to New York the next day, where he remained for another week before being allowed to return to England and to work, almost as good as new. After that week, Lily found herself changing her schedule. Her relationship, friendship, with Martin suddenly meant more to her than her career. He was more important that her important position and she began spending Tuesday night through Thursday morning at his apartment, working remotely from New York, instead of her office in D.C., and seriously considering doing something more permanent.


	7. Chapter 7

December came and found Lily rushing through Penn Station in New York with her suitcase. She was running late, which she hated, and she pulled out her cell phone as the cab pulled away from the curb. "Honey, I am so sorry. I'll be there as soon as the taxi driver can get me there."

Martin laughed. "Tiger Lily, whenever you get here you will be on time. The party isn't even scheduled to start for another half hour. Don't worry."

"Secret Agent Man, you know better than anyone that I can not accomplish such a bold feat." She finally laughed. "OK, I should be there in about ten minutes and then you can feel free to parade me around. I remembered to dress the part this time." He laughed again before they hung up.

Fifteen minutes later, the elevator doors opened and he saw the most beautiful sight he'd seen in a month. Her long flowing raven locks hung to their true length, allowed to touch the soft leather belt of her favorite soft blue jeans, and her red form-fitting silk blouse was left unbuttoned just enough to hint at her ample cleavage. He hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving, unable to break away between cases long enough to go down to Virginia, and she had been wrapping up her caseload before the winter break and hadn't been able to get up to New York. It had almost killed him, the not being able to hold her in his arms, their nightly phone conversations a poor substitute, so when he saw her step onto his floor, he wanted to grab her, kiss her, and never let her go again, but he knew they had to act at least slightly professional. "Hey there, Tiger Lily." Their lips met softly and briefly, both afraid of what would happen if they allowed their pent up heat to melt them together for longer than a second.

"Hey there, Secret Agent Man." She touched his face softly as she smiled. "Is there somewhere I can park my bags?"

"Yeah, we can stick them under my desk for now." They walked into the bullpen and he couldn't stop the smile from curving his lips as he kept hold of her hand. "How was the trip?"

"Not as fast as I had wanted it to be. I missed the speed train by five minutes and was forced to take the regular Metroliner. I am so sorry, Honey."

"I keep telling you, it's fine." He smiled as he leaned against his desk, watching her baby blue eyes sparkle as she sat in his desk chair, but it faded when he noticed her cross her arms over her chest, and he helped her pull out her black leather jacket from her suitcase. "Still not used to a New York winter, are you?"

"I would have left my overcoat on, but I figured it would have made me look like too much of a Southern Deb."

He laughed. "You love torturing me with that image, don't you?"

"Only slightly more than a lot." She laughed with him as he shook his head.

"Let the party begin, the food is here." Danny placed the brown bags on the conference table before noticing the good-looking raven-haired woman in Martin's chair. "Danny Taylor, you must be Honey." He extended his hand as she laughed a light and airy laugh and he could suddenly see why Martin would run out on a Friday night to go see her.

"Lily Anderson, it's good to meet you, Agent Taylor."

"Danny."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Danny." She smiled.

"The pleasure is mine."

She laughed and enjoyed hanging on Martin's arm for the rest of the night. Being introduced as his girlfriend, not an ambassador's daughter, not as a legal attaché to Congress, made her smile widen as she met his colleagues and their spouses. It was a relief for her not to have to play politics, to not have to play the game of self-promotion and name-dropping, and she was able to fully enjoy herself. She was where she wanted to be, she was with who she wanted to be with, and Martin was happy and that is what mattered the most to her. "Now, that was fun." She smiled as they walked into his apartment later that night. "I see why you've stayed with that team for so long."

"Yeah, we do get along pretty well. I'm just glad that I wasn't accused of parading tonight."

"Because I was ready for it." She smirked and kissed him. "Besides, I was actually enjoying being Martin's Girl again."

"Again?" Martin laughed. "When were you my girl before?"

"When we were in high school, though that was just what everyone thought because you never made a move."

"Yeah, I was young and stupid, and you were usually being hit on by the captain of the football team."

"Only because he wanted me to help them with his homework. I kept holding out hope that Martin Fitzgerald was going to dump the blonde of the week and look at me as more than a friend."

He kissed her. "I always did look at you as more than a friend, but you never seemed to act like you wanted me to move things forward."

"What about prom night? I waited for you to ask me until two weeks before when I finally gave in to the captain of the football team."

"You never would have won prom queen being on my arm."

"We would have definitely been prom king and queen, Secret Agent Man. You were one of the most popular kids in school. I was the hanger on."

He laughed. "You were the daughter of a senator, Tiger Lily. You were popular just because of that, but you are a naturally charismatic person, always have been, so that certainly helped."

"Then why couldn't I get the guy I always wanted until twenty years later?" She smirked at him and he kissed her. "That's not an answer."

"I didn't want to risk losing you if I tried something and you pulled away." He kissed her again. "I never want to lose you, Lil."

"Now, that's an answer I like." She laughed and kissed him one more time.

"I thought you might." He caressed her cheek. "So, how long do I have you for?"

"Until after the new year. That is if you can tolerate me being all yours for three weeks."

It was his turn to laugh. "I think I can handle that, Sweetheart." He kissed her and led her back to his bedroom. He'd wanted to ask her to marry him right then, but he wanted it to be special, to be a moment they would both remember, treasure, and she wouldn't be able to say no.

Two days later, on Christmas morning, Lily sat on the same couch with a smile. Martin had surprised her with the best Christmas present. He'd arranged to have her parents fly over from London and spend Christmas with them along with his parents. The apartment was a little tight, but it was well worth it to see both of their fathers getting along. Her smile changed to a look of confusion when Martin placed a Tiffany blue box in her hand after all the other gifts had been opened. "What's this?"

"Your last Christmas gift."

The look on his face was a mixture of fear and glee and she suddenly looked at him shocked. As she opened the case, she found a rather large solitaire diamond on a plain gold band. "Oh my God!"

"Lillian Rose Anderson," he got down on one knee in front of her, "I have loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you back when we were ten years old and I love you even more now. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, she held out her left hand to him and he slid the ring on her finger as she nodded. "I love you, Lily."

She flung her arms around his neck and embraced him. "I love you, Martin. I have loved you since we were ten and I will love you forever." It was a whisper as she was unable to muster much more strength.

"Lily, darling," Mrs. Fitzgerald cornered her future daughter-in-law before they left, "that ring you're now wearing has been in the Fitzgerald family for three generations. It's been handed down to each daughter-in-law and I trust that you will do the same with your son."

"Yes, Ma'am, I will." She kissed the older woman on the cheek as they said their goodbyes.

"She tell you the history of the ring?" Martin asked as his fiancé began helping him clean up.

"Yes, she did, and I promised her that I'd pass it on to whoever our son chooses to marry."

He laughed. "I knew the grandchildren speech wouldn't be that far away."

"It was tasteful. I really wish I could say the same thing about the wedding."

"Your mother is looking to go overboard?"

"Honey, I'm an ambassador's daughter and you are the son of a deputy director at the FBI. We will be having professional pictures taken just so the engagement can be announced in the Washington Post and the New York Times."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

She put the dishes in the sink and went into his arms. "I'm marrying the most wonderful man in the world and I want to scream it from the rooftops and take out a neon billboard in Times Square."

He kissed her deeply. "I'll help you with that."

"Good, because I don't think there is going to be a single detail of our wedding that will actually be ours." She laughed and he kissed her again. "I heard our mothers exchanging phone numbers so they could start planning."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey there, Beautiful." He whispered as he walked up to her a week later at the FBI office. "What are you doing here?"

"I wish I knew. Jack called me and asked me to brief him on one of my cases as it pertains to your current case."

"Well, then let me show you to the conference table." He offered his arm, but she shook her head with a smile. "Oh, that's right, business before pleasure."

"Good, Lily, thank you for getting here so quickly." Jack stood up briefly to extend his hand and offer her a chair. "It appears that our prime suspect may be being protected by your office."

She quickly glanced through the file he handed her. "Yeah, that's Sean Williams, but he's not being protected by my office."

"Good, then what can you tell us about him?"

"He's a wannabe, a real poser. He hung out with some militia men in the backwoods of Kentucky, but he's not a member of the fringe. He's a hanger on and the militia men actually kicked him out. It's the story of his life." She reached into her bag and produced a fax her office had sent her. She really owed her assistant. "This is the workup that my office has on him. As you can see, he bounced around from job to job, from gang to gang, never really belonging. He's got serious anger issues and an IQ that is borderline disabled. He dropped out of high school after only one year, so he's really not capable of much. We investigated his tips, but we weren't really impressed. The hillbillies he ran with liked to go into the woods and blow things up, shoot game, that sort of thing. Not exactly Timothy McVeigh stuff. So, what do you like him for?"

"Kidnapping, assault, and weapons charges."

"He's either trying to impress someone or he has a partner. This guy isn't really capable of all that by himself. He certainly would never have devised a plan as elaborate as the one your file indicates."

"It doesn't appear that he had help." Jack noticed the look of fear wash over the attorney. "Feel free to stick around and help out where you can. You know this guy. We need all the help we can get." He stood up and walked away.

"You OK?" Martin asked with a whisper.

"I screwed up. I thought this guy was a hanger on, no threat, and I had bigger fish to fry. His information was worthless so I had my DHS team investigate him and I found nothing that set off alarm bells."

"We'll catch him and then you can cook him. How does that sound?" She just nodded. "It'll be alright, Lil."

"No, it won't, Martin. I put this girl's life in danger because I dismissed him."

"We'll find her."

"I hope so." She pulled out her cell and dialed her assistant. "Diane, I'm sorry to disturb you again, but I need you to get that entire case up to me here in New York. There's been a development."

"I'll email it to you shortly."

"I owe you big time, Dee, thanks." She hung up and pulled out her laptop.

"When did he ask?" Samantha asked as she and Lily went over her case file, the four-carat pear shaped diamond catching the light as Lily ran her hand through her long black locks.

She looked down at her left hand and smiled slightly. "Christmas Day. I should have known something was up when his parents knocked on the door that morning, but he was able to blindside me."

"You're one lucky woman. He's a good man."

"Yes, I am and yes, he is." She smiled fully, but it faded when she noticed something in the notes on the case. "I don't know how I missed this, but your so called victim is actually your suspect's girlfriend. He's doing all of this to impress her, if she's not pulling his strings."

"I'll run this down. Thanks."

"Remember me, Sean?" Lily walked into the interrogation room two hours later, her heels clicking on the tile floor, her face reflecting the distain she had for the man in the chair.

"You're that lawyer from D.C. What are you doing here?"

She walked behind him before whispering in his ear. "I'm here to make your life miserable because you scammed me once. It won't happen again, Sean."

"That's a threat. You can't do that. You heard that, right?" He looked over at Martin.

"I didn't hear anything." He leaned against the back wall and watched Lily work.

An evil laugh echoed in the room as she stood up and walked to the other side of the table. "Don't look to him for help, Sean Baby. You are mine and you are being considered a domestic terrorist. Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"Maybe you should ask your girlfriend." She snapped her fingers. "That's right, you killed her."

"I did not! She's at her parent's place in White Plains."

"Don't lie to me again, Sean. The FBI has already been to her parents' place in White Plains. She's not there unless you stashed her body beneath the floor boards."

"I didn't kill her! I love her! She's there. I talked to her right before he," he gestured to Martin, "busted down my door."

"Do you know why he busted down your door?"

"No! I told you, Cheryl isn't missing, she's just at her folks' place."

"Quit the dumb act, Sean. You may have fooled once, but you're not going to do it again. Where did you dump the body?"

"I didn't kill her! I want a lawyer!"

Her evil laugh returned. "See, Sean, by declaring you a domestic terrorist, the Patriot Act says I don't have to provide you with a lawyer and I can keep you here as long as I want. You're being considered a traitor, Sean, and traitors are not given any of the rights as regular criminals."

"You can't do that!"

"There were enough explosives and weapons in your apartment to start and end a world war, so yes, I can and will send you far away for years."

The man across from her began crying. "Why? What do you want from me? I already told him that they aren't mine. Please, don't send me away."

"Who do they belong to? The Tooth Fairy? Please, Sean, don't waste my time. You have five minutes and I'm shipping you to Gitmo."

"They're mine. OK? You're not going to send me away, right? I told you the truth."

"You didn't tell me the truth, Sean. We both know that you aren't smart enough to amass all of those weapons by yourself. Tell us where Cheryl is and don't go down alone."

He began crying harder. "I already told you. She's with her folks in White Plains. Please stop."

Martin placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to leave the room. "Enough, Lily. He hasn't wavered on where Cheryl is and you have him so terrified, I think he would have told you where Osama was just to get you to leave him alone."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "OK, I'll secure you a warrant and you can hit her parents' place. I just don't like being played by a complete moron. I should have known it was the girlfriend pulling the strings."

Her rubbed the back of her neck gently for a second. "We aren't trained to think that way, Lil. It wasn't your fault."

"I wish I could believe that."

"We'll get them now. I promise." He smiled ruefully and she nodded. "Are you always that scary in an interrogation?"

She laughed, the clouds of self-doubt momentarily forgotten. "I have to be. I am usually interrogating domestic terrorists. I have to put the fear of God into them or I don't get what I want."

"It was nice to see that side of you. Don't worry, I won't make you that mad when we're married." He winked at her and she laughed again before leaving to wake up a judge.

"I'm guessing you want to take these two back to D.C., Lily?" Jack asked as he gestured to the suspects being walked to holding two hours later.

"No, they're all yours. I'm sure that ATF will fight you for them, but you are welcome to have them talk to me. You did all the hard work, you should get the credit."

"What is this going to cost me?"

She laughed as he smirked. "I owe you. So, consider this payment on a favor."

"Thanks."

A week later, Martin walked into his apartment expecting to find Lily on the couch, as she had been every other night, but instead found it dark. "Lil?" There was no answer so he called her cell, which rang from inside her attaché case on the coat tree. She never went anywhere without her cell phone, but he waited an hour before calling anyone else even though his gut told him something was wrong. "Hey, Diane," he dialed her assistant, "it's Martin. Have you heard from Lily?"

"Not since yesterday afternoon. Why? What's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing. She must have run out for something. Thanks." He hung up and debated calling her parents. It was one in the morning in London, but if she had left him, they would know. It didn't feel like she'd left him. Her clothes were still in the closet, her laptop was still on the coffee table, and there was no note. There was definitely something off, something felt very wrong. "Hi Robert, it's Martin." He broke down and called her parents' house in Virginia. "Have you heard from Lily?"

"No, Sir. I haven't talked with her in over a week, since she phoned to tell Miranda and I about your engagement."

"That's what I thought. OK, thanks."

"Is everything all right?"

"I don't know. She wasn't home when I got home an hour ago. Her things are still here along with her cell phone. In my line of work, that's cause for concern, but she could have just gone out shopping."

"Without her cell phone, Sir?" Robert knew that Lily's cell phone was an appendage, an extension of her body, and never would she have left the house without it.

"I know, Bobby. OK, I'll look into this and let you know. Please don't alarm Ambassador and Mrs. Anderson."

"For now, Master Fitzgerald, but Miss Lily is their only child. I will not withhold this sort of information for long."

"I know." Hanging up, he was about to call Samantha when the phone rang with the same number he was about to dial. "Sam?"

"Yeah, it's me. Martin, you need get back here."

"Samantha, what's going on?"

"We just got a ransom call from the militia Sean Williams and his girlfriend belonged to. They have Lily."


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm on my way." How could this have happened? Why didn't he see it coming? Why hadn't he protected her? "What do we have?" He asked as he threw his coat over his desk chair. "Do we have any leads on where she is?"

"The techs are working on tracing the call. They said that they want Sean and Cheryl released and in exchange they will release Lily, but not until then."

Martin sank into his chair. "We can't do that. We won't do that."

"We'll get her back. I promise."

"Don't let Jack hear you say that." He shook off the negative thoughts he was having. They would find her, it was what they did. He couldn't allow himself to think of the times they had been too late or worse. "I better call her parents." Checking his watch, he sighed. It was only two am. They were going to know that something was wrong. Nothing good requires a phone call at two in the morning.

"How are the parents taking it?" Danny asked when Martin hung up the phone.

"Not good, but I managed to keep them in London for the time being. What have you got?"

"I need to contact Lily's assistant. I keep getting voice mail at the office."

"Yeah, the office is closed for the winter break. I'll call Diane. What do you need?"

"I need all the files on that Kentucky militia. Maybe we can get a lead on what group these two moved onto."

"It's a long shot, but it's worth a try."

Danny lightly slapped his friend's shoulder. "We'll find her."

As Martin hung up again, Vivian called Martin into the conference room. "Martin, you know the drill. I just need to ask a few questions."

"Because you need to make sure I'm not a suspect? Viv, this is my fiancé we're talking about. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Hey, I know that. I just need to get a little background on her. I only need to know what she's been doing since we put Cheryl and Sean away."

"Yeah, OK." He sat down with a sigh. "Well, she's been staying with me because Congress is in the midst of their winter break. She's been doing some work remotely, but mainly, she's been relaxing and working on planning the wedding." He found himself smiling as he thought back to the conversation he'd walked into the middle of the night before. "It's been a battle between our two mothers."

"_Mom, both Martin and I do not want the wedding of the century. Please, something small, family only preferably, and maybe held at the estate. We don't need to rent out the Waldorf Astoria." She had rolled her eyes with a grin as Martin kissed her softly. "No, Mom, we're not getting married in London." Her smile was gone as she shook her head. "Mom, it's late over there and Martin just got home here. We'll talk about this tomorrow, I'm sure."_

_Martin took her into his arms as he laughed. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this by yourself. You could have my mother call me at least. I know how to deal with her."_

"_I will do nothing of the sort. You need to have your head in the case so you can save the day. I've learned how to appease your mother."_

_He laughed again and kissed her. "OK, but if she gets to be too much, you have her call me."_

"_I will, but I actually don't have a problem with your mother. It's mine who is driving me crazy. Something as simple as choosing the photographer for our engagement pictures has turned into a battle about who has more standing and will sound better in the caption."_

_He kissed her forehead and held her close. "There are worse things that you two could be fighting over."_

"_When you find that out, let me know, Secret Agent Man."_

"It's normal for a bride-to-be to be completely stressed." Vivian smiled. "When is the wedding?"

He laughed. "We haven't quite decided yet. Or I should say, our mothers haven't quite decided yet. Lily wants an early spring or fall wedding and our mothers are pushing for June. I'm almost positive that the mothers will win."

"I'm sure they will. I know my mother did with mine and I wasn't an ambassador's daughter." Her smile faded as she got back to business. "Did you notice anything out of the ordinary this past week? Anyone hanging around in the lobby or did Lily mention anything strange when she went out during the day?"

"I didn't notice anything, but Lily did mention that someone recognized her when she went shopping for groceries last week."

"_It was really strange, Martin. I mean, I'm used to being recognized in DC, but not here in New York." Lily said as they did the dishes._

"_Did you recognize him?"_

"_No, but Daddy's appointment was covered in every major newspaper so that doesn't surprise me. I guess I'm being paranoid."_

"_You are not being paranoid." He took her into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. "Maybe it's your first brush with the paparazzi." She laughed. "Do you want me to pull the security tape and take a look?"_

"_No, you don't have to do that. I feel better just telling you about it. To hear it out loud I hear just how crazy I sound."_

"_Tiger Lily, you are not crazy. I think it's just someone who likes to read the society pages, but I will look into it for you."_

"_Thank you, Honey." She smiled and kissed him. "You don't have to though. You're right. He wasn't dressed like a bum or anything. He did have on a designer suit. I was just caught off guard."_

"Did you look into it?" Vivian pulled him back from his memory.

"No, I never did. We got another case and she never mentioned anything more about it. I guess we both thought it was just someone who liked reading Page Six." He shook his head. "Maybe I should have asked a few more questions."

"I'll get the tapes from the market for that day. We'll find him. Anything else seem strange?" Martin shook his head. "What was her plan for today?"

"She said that she might go shopping, but I don't know where. She normally hates shopping so I'm guessing it was to look for the wedding. I honestly don't know."

"It's OK. We'll find out."

Two hours and one more ransom call later, Jack Malone paced an empty warehouse. The kidnappers were late and probably weren't coming. He was fuming. He had gotten them to agree to a meeting that was looking like a setup to throw them off the case. "Damn it!" He got back in his car and slammed it into gear. He should have known better. They weren't going to come out to meet him, even with the million dollars in flash money he had in the briefcase on his passenger seat. "Where are we?" He barged into the tech's office. "Tell me we have a location of that last phone call because they didn't show."

"I have the general location of the cell tower, but nothing solid."

"I'll take it." He scribbled down the address and called out for Danny to join him. "Call me when you know more."

Martin stared at Lily's photo up on the white board in the bullpen. How had this happened? It was the one question Ambassador Anderson repeatedly asked him and it was the one question he couldn't answer. How had they missed the signs that the two suspects were aligned with a militia group? And why was he sitting at his desk fielding phone calls from senators and Lily's parents instead of being out in the field looking for her? She'd been missing for almost twelve hours, it was one in the morning, and the best they could come up with is a general location up in Westchester that agents had been combing for hours with no luck. "Samantha, what's going on? Is there any news?"

"You'll know when I know. So far our search has turned up nothing. I'm sorry, Martin."

"Yeah, OK." He hung up and slammed his fist into the desk. They were looking for his fiancé. He should be out in the field interrogating suspects, not stuck running the tip hotline.

"Hey, Martin, I just got a call from Jack. They have a lead and need everyone. Do you want to drive?" Vivian spoke to the younger agent two hours later. He'd done as he was told, followed every tip, and she could tell it was killing him. He needed to be in the field, to be active, and she understood. "Come on. Let's go."

It wasn't until six that night, a full twenty-four hours since Lily's abduction, when a solid tip led them to an abandoned farmhouse near the small town of Beckett, Massachusetts. They had called ahead and the Hartford office of the FBI as well as the Massachusetts State Patrol rolled up to the two-acre property, but there were no lights on, the place looked abandoned, and Jack was suddenly scared that they had been led off track again. He knew, as everyone did, that their chances of finding Lily alive were dwindling with every passing hour, but the night soon erupted with gunfire and he took cover behind his sedan. The militia boys were not going to give up their homestead without a fight.

Martin fired back, fighting through the flashbacks of the night he'd been shot. It was what he had to do to get Lily back, but when the shooting stopped and they cleared the house, Lily was no where to be found. He searched each room and the basement himself, finding no trace that she was there. How could she not be there? "Where the hell is she?" He slammed the leader into the hood of the sedan before Jack could pull him off. "Where the hell are you keeping her?"

"Martin," Jack pushed him into another cruiser, "we'll find her. We've got agents combing every inch of every acre. We'll find her."

Danny searched the back barn on the lot, checking each horse stall, under each plank of fallen wood, and found nothing. He wasn't going to go back to Martin empty handed, he didn't have the heart, but there was no sign of her. Even the troopers sent into the woods were walking back with nothing. As he began his slow walk back to the front of the property, his flashlight caught the outline of another dilapidated structure. "Did anyone check this?" He called out and suddenly he was swarmed with agents and troopers.

Martin heard Danny's question and began running. If there was somewhere else to search, he was going to search it. He wanted to be there when they found her and he was. Entering the structure from the rear entrance, he found the love of his life, his bride-to-be, and best friend chained to an old and rusty metal bed frame. Her beautiful body was splayed out on a musty mattress, her clothing ripped, and she was shivering. "I need the paramedics here!" Unlocking her handcuffs, he quickly took off his coat and wrapped it around her before he took her into his arms. She was going into hypothermia. Her skin had a pale gray hue, her body was shivering uncontrollably, and she wasn't conscious. "Lily, Honey, it's me. It's Martin. We're going to get you to the hospital. You're safe now." He kissed her forehead, but she was cold to the touch. "Where are the paramedics? I need blankets over here!"


	10. Chapter 10

"How is she?" Ambassador Charles Anderson barked at his future son-in-law two hours after his daughter had been found. "I'm going to be catching the first plane out in the morning."

"Ambassador, there isn't much that you can do here. She's still unconscious, but they have her body temperature up to ninety. They have confidence that she'll be conscious in a few hours. I'll make sure to let you know as soon as she wakes up, Sir."

"Thank you, Martin. I know you will. Andrea will still be flying back to The States. I need to stay at work, as you said."

"Yes, Sir." He hung up and went into Lily's room. As he placed his hand on her blanket, her eyes flickered open. "Hi there, Beautiful."

"You lie, Martin Fitzgerald, but thank you." She smiled groggily. "Where am I?"

"You are in the hospital." He didn't want to tell her the whole story. The doctors said that she needed less stress.

"Why? What happened?" Attempting to wake up fully, she ran her hands over her face, but was suddenly aware of the emptiness of her left hand. "My ring! Where's my ring? Did those maniacs take it?"

Her heart monitor started showing an elevated heart rate and he quickly reached into his suit coat. "Shh, Honey," he slipped the ring onto her finger, "the paramedics took it off in the ambulance because they had to warm you and they didn't want it getting lost. They gave it to me for safe keeping." He pulled the blankets back over her and stroked her face. "You need to stay warm."

"OK." She took a deep breath as a chill went through her. "I am a little cold."

"You were more than a little cold when they brought you in. You have hypothermia, Lily. You're body temperature was close to eighty degrees."

"I was in that barn for so long, but I knew you would find me."

"I did find you and you're safe now." He fought tears as he kissed her forehead, finally warm to the touch.

Jack quietly walked into the room, not wanting to interrupt the moment, but he needed to get Lily's statement to finally close the case. "Excuse me, Martin, but I need to talk to Lily." Martin just sat back down next to her bed. "OK. Lily, I need you to tell me what happened?"

"My memory is a little hazy, but I'll tell you what I can."

"Start at when you were taken and stop if it gets to be too much. We can space this out."

"OK." She nodded as she tried to make the fog clear from her mind. "I had run out to pick up a pizza for dinner and was on my way back to the apartment when I was approached by these two guys who shoved me into a van or a car, I think it was a van, before I knew what was happening. They bound my hands and put a gag in my mouth."

"Would you recognize the two guys?"

"I think so. They looked really familiar so they may have been part of a case somewhere. I know the driver was the guy who bumped into me at the market last week."

"We've already pulled those tapes. Go on. Where did they take you?"

"That barn. They handcuffed me to the bed and then another guy, I think he was the leader, would come out and remove various articles of clothing after asking me which prison Cheryl and Sean Williams were being held at. I kept telling him I didn't know and he kept telling me that all I had to do was tell him where they were and he would take me inside and let me warm up. After that, it gets a little hazy."

"Jack, I think that's enough." Martin placed his hand on her shoulder, her body shaking from fear instead of cold.

"I have what I need. I'll have Samantha stop by tomorrow with a photo array." He stood up. "I'm glad you're OK, Lily."

"Lil, your mother is flying in tomorrow as well. So, get some sleep. I'll be back in the morning. " Martin kissed her forehead as he stood up. "I love you."

"I love you." She smiled. "Thank you." He smiled at her as she drifted off.

The next morning, Martin walked into Lily's room to find her mother sitting by the bedside with tears in her eyes. Andrea Anderson never cried, a woman in her position never cried, so he didn't reference it. "Good Morning, Mrs. Anderson."

"Good Morning, Martin." The older woman quickly wiped her face. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

"You're welcome, but it was our job." He sat down and took his fiancé's hand, finding it hot to the touch. "Has the doctor been in yet?"

"Yes."

"What did he have to say?"

"Now her temperature has gone in the opposite direction. She's in a coma because her fever is one hundred and four. Apparently, there was an infection that was dormant because she was so cold, but once her body returned to normal, it began raving her system again."

Martin heard Andrea's voice crack and he was in a state of shock. "I never should have left." He said quietly as he kissed Lily's hand. "When did this happen?"

"She was fine when I arrived this morning, but she quickly became delirious and the doctors put her into a coma." The tears started again and she stood up. "I really should go call my husband. Excuse me."

Samantha walked into the ICU room later in the afternoon and found the bed empty and Martin sitting in a dark corner. "What happened? Where's Lily?"

"They took her for a bath." His voice was very flat and emotionless. "She's not going to be able to help you with that photo array. She's asleep."

"This will only take a minute."

"No, Sam, she's asleep. She's in a coma!" He suddenly growled at her. "Her temperature rose to one hundred and six. They took her for an ice water bath because they are trying to keep her brain from becoming soup and buy themselves some time to figure out what the hell is killing her. So, right now, there are a few more important things than a damn photo lineup!"

"Martin, I had no idea. Jack said that she was awake last night."

"No, I'm sorry, Sam. It's just frustrating because her mother is here and insists on talking with the doctor alone. Trying to get information about her condition took me flashing my badge at the nurse. I know that Andrea is Lily's mother, but I am going to marry her. I deserve to be kept in the loop. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Apology accepted." Samantha sat down on the bed. "This is one of the drawbacks to being involved with an ambassador's daughter, huh?"

"It's one of the drawbacks to being involved with any beltway insider. I've been getting phone calls from her secretary who's been fielding phone calls from the media. Lily has gone from society page debutant to front page victim." He sighed. "That's not what she would have wanted and it's not what she deserves. She's worked too hard to fall back under her father's shadow. When we were kids, she used to get so upset," he smiled ruefully as he thought back, "when she would be referred to as Senator Anderson's daughter."

"I can only imagine." She tried to smile, but it was sad. "OK, well, we'll do this when she gets better." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she left him to his silent worry.

Two days later, Andrea Anderson finally convinced to return to London, Martin sat at his fiancé's bedside lightly stroking her hand. "Lily, Sweetheart, your mother has gone. You can wake up now." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, pushing a lock of hair from her face. "Please wake up, Beautiful. I need you. I don't know how I got where I can't be me without you, but I'm there and I don't know how I'd survive without you. Tiger Lily, you have to fight to wake up. I love you so much and I will be here to help you through whatever we have to get through, but we'll do it. I didn't know what living was until I met you again in that ballroom a year ago. Please, come back to me. Let me take care of you." He kissed her hand, holding it to his cheek, and blinked back the tears that were just behind his eyes.

"How is she?" Samantha asked that night when she stopped by.

"Her temperature is one hundred and one still, but the antibiotics are working. They doctors say it's just a case of wait and see as to when she wakes up." Martin never even looked at his colleague, his voice flat and tired.

"When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I've been dozing here and there."

"Martin, hospital chairs are not conducive to a good night's sleep. Believe me I remember. Why don't you go home and I'll stay with her?"

"No, I want to be here in case she wakes up. What has Jack been saying?"

"Jack is being Jack. He understands why your not there, but I think he expects us all to handle things like he does, by diving into work."

"I can't do that anymore."

"No one expects you to. Besides, we all know your head would be here, not in the field." She placed her hand on his shoulder and sighed. "You want some coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks, Samantha."

When she walked back into the room, Martin was fast asleep in the same chair she'd left him in, and she smiled softly as she covered him. It was probably what she had looked like when she'd spent nights in his hospital room. "OK, well, I'm going to go home now. I hope she gets better." And she did. It was clear that he loved Lily more than he had ever loved her and he deserved to be happy.

The sun streaming in from the window hurt her eyes, but as she tried to move, Lily became aware of just how stiff she was. Hospital beds were not Ethan Allen California King size sleigh beds with four hundred thread count sheets, that was for sure, and she slowly moved her hand to her face before she attempted to roll to her side. There were so many needles and tubes coming off of her body that she suddenly realized she couldn't move without help. "Martin." Her voice came out as a gravelly whisper, her throat just as dry as her skin, as she opened her eyes to see who was holding her hand. "Martin, Honey."

"Lily!" Martin was shocked awake by the sound of her voice. "Hey there, welcome back." He buzzed for a nurse as he stood up, painfully aware that he'd spent the last week in a hospital chair.

"Your hip is bothering you. How long have you been sitting there? Better question, how long have I been out?"

He smiled and touched her face. "Stop worrying about me. You need to worry about yourself."

"You didn't answer my question."

"About a week." His smile was gone as he kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're back." He smiled again as the nurse came in.


	11. Chapter 11

After three more days in the hospital, endless hours of physical therapy, and more than enough hospital food, Lily was finally released, whisked away via private limo to the airport, and taken to her parents' estate in Virginia. She had wanted to go to Martin's apartment, but the driver had told her that her parents had insisted that he take her straight to the waiting private jet. Lily fumed the entire trip, attempting to reach her father, but was stonewalled by his secretary. "Martin, Sweetheart, I'm sorry. My hands are being tied again."

"I know, Honey. Don't worry about it. You'll be more comfortable down at your parents' place anyway." He lied, not wanting to upset her by telling her about the heated discussion he'd had with her parents about her. "I'll be down this weekend. I promise."

"I'm holding you to that." She sighed. "I just can't believe that they'd do this to me."

"Yes you can, Lil. This isn't the first time they've done something like this and it won't be the last. Just enjoy the break and I'll see you on Friday."

"OK. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Everything OK?" Vivian questioned as Martin joined her at the conference table.

"I will be once we clear this case." Picking up a file, he attempted to get back to work, but his temper got the best of him. "No, it's not OK. Her parents blame me for getting her kidnapped. I was barely good enough for her before, now, I'm a menace to their daughter when it was her case to begin with that got us into this mess." He shook his head. "She was supposed to be married to a Senator after law school, but she broke it off because she didn't love him. Her parents blame me for that as well. Their perfect plan for their perfect child."

"No parent ever believes that the one their child chooses to marry is ever good enough, Martin. I wouldn't take it too personally."

"That's not it. They had her future picked out from the time she was born. She's three years younger than I am, but we graduated high school in the same class because she was forced to take summer classes. After high school, it was straight to Bryn Mawr for two years then onto Georgetown Law. Her father had picked out everything right down to all of her boyfriends, including the future junior senator from Virginia she was seeing while she was at Georgetown, until, one night, she'd had enough. That was the night she came to see me at Quantico."

"_Lily!" He opened the door to his dorm room with a look of shock, but quickly hugged his friend. "Come in. What brings you up here?"_

"_I just wanted to see what you are always talking about. Am I disturbing you?" She suddenly looked uneasy._

"_Not at all. I was just surprised to see you, that's all. What's going on?" Reaching for her coat, he smiled at the magnificent black halter dress she was wearing. It suited her, classy and elegant, yet a little risqué without being over the top. "That's some dress. Where'd you come from?"_

"_I was out with Todd. That's kind of why I'm here." Her voice cracked and she quickly regained her composure. "Do you have anything I could borrow to change into?"_

"_Did he do something to you, Lil? If he hurt you, you can tell me, and I'll take care of it. I promise."_

"_No, it's nothing like that. I just don't want to be Senator Anderson's daughter, Lillian, right now. That's why I came to see you. You're the only person I know who sees me as Lily."_

"_Come here." Hugging her, he kissed the top of her head. "Lil, you're my friend and I don't care who your parents are." She smiled as she pulled away and he handed her one of his FBI t-shirts and a pair of cotton gym shorts, turning his back as she changed. "So, what's going on?"_

"_Todd asked me to marry him tonight."_

"_Wow, um, congratulations."_

"_You don't have to pretend, Martin. I don't want to say yes. I don't love him. This was all arranged by my parents. He's my father's choice for succession into his Senate seat. We don't love each other."_

"_I'm sorry." He placed his hand on her back as she flopped down on the bed next to him._

"_I am terrified that I'm going to wind up like my mother, trapped in a loveless marriage, if I don't break this off right now, but I don't know how to stand up to them."_

"_You have to go with your heart, Lil. If Todd George isn't the right man for you, then walk away. The right one will come along. Don't marry that guy just because your folks want you to. You have to do what is right for you."_

"_Thanks." She curled up in his arms and sighed._

"_Anytime."_

"And for that advice, they blamed you?" Vivian was shocked.

"Yeah, I was a bad influence because I told her to make her own decisions and go against her parents, like I had. After that, they made sure we lost touch. She graduated from law school and began clerking for Justice Scalia while I was assigned to white collar in Seattle. I guess they were reminded of all that now since I was the one to bring her in on the militia case."

"Martin, you found her again, despite her parents. It was meant to be. You'll be just fine."

"I hope so." He sighed and went back to work.

"You have a caller, Miss Lily." Robert announced Friday night.

"If it's not Martin, I'm not here." She never looked up from the law book on her lap, remaining curled up on the library window seat.

"No, it's your other fiancé, Beautiful." Martin laughed as she quickly flew into his arms. "God, I have missed you."

"I've missed you too."


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Martin awoke and smiled as he watched Lily sleeping, the stray sunbeams that peeked through the closed curtains caused her silky long raven locks to shine and her perfect creamy skin to glow. It was a sharp contract from the woman he'd watched in the hospital bed. Kissing her exposed shoulder, he carefully slid out of the king size bed, but felt her stirring. "Shh, Sweetheart, go back to sleep. I'm just going for a run. It's still early." As he dressed, he watched her sleeping. There was a light about her that he'd taken for granted, afraid that he would snuff it out with all that he saw, but he now knew it was that light that kept him going. Without her, he was in the dark, going through life without really seeing it, and always seeing the dark side. As he ran down the driveway, he vowed to never let the dark touch her again.

"Martin!" A familiar male voice rang out from behind Martin a half hour later.

"Jack? What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, the AUSA is clamoring for an ID in Lily's kidnapping case, so he sent us," he gestured to the younger agent in the passenger seat, "to talk to her. Do you want a lift back to the house?"

"Yeah, I want to be there when you talk to her."

Danny stepped out of the car and whistled as they pulled up to the house. "This is quite a house."

"It's her family's place." Martin answered expressionless and ran up the stone staircase. "Lil?"

"She's in the shower, Master Fitzgerald. May I help you with something?" The Englishman appeared seemingly out of no where.

"Yes, um," he stammered, still uncomfortable with having a butler.

"I'll take care of them, sir." Robert smiled and nodded as the other agents walked in the house.

"Thank you. I'll be down in a minute."

Lily descended the stairs, but Martin caught her on the landing. "Why are Jack and Danny here?"

"They want to interview you about your kidnapping." He watched her steel herself. "Lil, I know you can handle yourself with them, but I'd really like for you to wait for me." She nodded and he kissed her. "I promise, I will be right down."

She took a deep breath and put on her best smile as she walked down to the foyer. "Jack, Danny, how good to see you again. Bobby, why don't we get these nice gentlemen some breakfast."

"Very good, Miss Lily. Will you be eating in the dining room or the kitchen?"

"Very good question." She looked over at the two men who were trying to hide their smirks. "It's up to you. The dining room is a bit pretentious, but roomy. The kitchen eating area is comfortable, but a little cramped for four people." There was no response. "I think we'll take the dining room today, Bobby. Thank you." She smiled as the older man showed them into her mother's favorite room. Ten antique Queen Anne chairs surrounded the dark mahogany dining table that Robert polished every Friday. The antique hutch at the head of the room displayed all of the fine china and housed the silver and a row of windows overlooking the expansive grounds, but it was cold, impersonal, and snobbish. Lily had always hated that room, but for what they were going to be talking about, it was best suited to be away from ears that were loyal to her parents, not to her. "Martin will be joining us in minute and the coffee should be out shortly. Why don't we forgo shop talk until after we've all had one cup?"

"That's fine." Jack politely glanced around the room. "Our flight isn't for another six hours."

"You grew up in this house?" Danny asked with almost a whisper, awed by what he was seeing.

"No, this was my grandfather's place before he passed it down to my parents when I was in law school. I grew up in a house in Arlington since my father worked in Congress."

"Did he come with the house?" He gestured in the direction the butler had walked out.

"Who, Bobby?" She laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. He was brought on by my grandfather forty years ago and is a member of the family."

"So, you live here?"

"No, I have an apartment in Arlington. I'm just here to recover and to appease my parents." She crossed legs and smiled as Robert brought in the silver tray with the coffee and everyday china cups and saucers. He knew that she hated the fine china, found it to be too showy, especially when the guests were law enforcement.

"Melinda will have breakfast ready shortly."

"Thank you, Bobby, and please show Martin in when he comes down."

"Very good, Miss Lily." Robert nodded.

"Who's Melinda?" Danny asked as the Englishman disappeared behind the swinging door.

"Danny, enough." Jack jumped in, but Lily was laughing.

"She's the chef and the best baker you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Haven't you interviewed anyone who lived on an estate before?"

"Not anyone that I felt comfortable asking about how it worked."

She laughed again. "Then ask away because I always felt that growing up in this place was much too ostentatious."

"Don't believe her, Danny," Martin smiled as he walked in, "she took full advantage of every advantage she had."

"I did not. He always makes me sounds like some spoiled rich brat." She smiled and squeezed his hand as he sat next to her.

"Can we get started now?" Jack asked in a gruff tone. "I'd really like to get this out of the way. Then you can give Danny a tour ala 'Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous'."

"Of course." Her smile faded. "I'll tell you what I am able."

Reaching into his suit coat, he pulled out a marker and a photo array. "Please circle and initial any faces you remember."

Martin felt her hand tighten around his before she took a deep breath and pulled away. "Just take your time, Lil."

The two faces that were imbedded in her memory like a bad movie jumped off the page and caused her to replay that nightmare. Suddenly, she was back on that night, the greasy-haired muscular man in a dirty white t-shirt and blue jeans had his arms around her, his hand covering her mouth, and pulled her into the white work van with the cold metal floor that was covered with auto parts and reeked of stale beer and motor oil. As she struggled, she caught sight of the smaller black-haired man who was driving, the one her capture called Mikey, and she could still hear them telling her that she was going to pay for what she did to Cheryl. She shook it off, circled the two faces, and quickly pushed the paper. "Those two. The man in the top row grabbed me while the one in the bottom row drove. Now, if you all will excuse me, I'll be right back." The three men all rose as she did and she attempted to make a graceful exit as she ran to the powder room and threw up.


	13. Chapter 13

"Lil, are you OK?" Martin said through the closed wooden door.

"Yeah," she opened the door after brushing her teeth, "it just felt like it was happening all over again."

"I know." He took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "It's going to for awhile."

"You sound like my shrink."

"Maybe, but I'm just telling you what I remember from when I was shot. It'll pass eventually."

"I hope so."

He kissed the top of her head again. "Are you ready to go back in there? I can always end it and send them away."

She actually felt herself laugh as she looked into his eyes, kissing him lightly. "Secret Agent Man, you will do nothing of the sort. These are your friends and colleagues and I can handle myself around FBI agents."

Jack watched a more confident woman walk into the dining room as he rose. "I'm sorry to have upset you, Lily, but the U.S. Attorney didn't want to go to trial without a positive ID."

"I understand." She smiled politely. "So, shall we continue?"

"Miss Lily," Robert appeared, "Senator Todd is here for you."

"I didn't hear the bell." Lily frowned. "Please excuse me for one moment, gentlemen." She rose and smiled as the three FBI agents stood with her. "Senator, it's good to see you." She lied with a patented fake smile on her face, the one her mother had taught her long ago.

"Lil, please don't play politics with me right now." The good looking, brown-haired, blue eyed man dressed in the designer polo shirt and beige khaki pants shook his head as Lily walked into the formal living room. "I'm not in the mood."

"Well, then, by all means, please allow me to rephrase, Todd. What the hell are you doing here? I have guests to attend to and I'm not supposed to see you until the next session starts in two weeks." She scowled. His behavior was very out of character for a man who had been polished and trained. Even when they were dating, he rarely allowed her to see the true Todd George; the one who wanted to be a doctor, not a lawyer, and who had mixed feelings about becoming a senator from Virginia.

"Then I won't keep you, but I wanted you to be the first one to know about my resignation."

"Todd, why? You are next in line to become the senior senator in November when Hancock doesn't seek another term. Don't quit now." Her tone softened and she took his hands. "There is still good that you can do."

"Lil, I've just been asked to open an investigation into your kidnapping and I refuse to do it. I've read the report from the FBI and your notes. I just don't see a case, but I've been told that there will be a hearing regardless of my opinion. It will be the first vote on the twelfth when we're back in session and I've been told it will pass. If I don't like it, I can resign. So, I am resigning."

"Over something so stupid? Todd, if there are going to be hearings, then let there be hearings. You don't want me politicking you, don't do it to me. What's going on?"

"I just feel you've been through enough and this is a clear waste of time and resources."

She shook her head. "You're resigning because my father helped you get elected and now he's asking for payback. You might as well humor him because he's still going to try to collect in some other way" They shared a laugh. "Now, this resignation talk has ended, right? Because I really don't want to have to break in another committee chair."

He hugged her with a smile. "I should have married you."

"Sure. There's only that little fact that we didn't love each other."

"No, Lil, you didn't love me. I am still in love with you." He kissed her cheek. "Well, I've kept you long enough. Thank you for your advice and I'll call you later." Walking out to the main foyer, he hugged her again. "I'll call you later, Lily."

"You better, Todd." She watched him walk out the door and she shook her head before returning to her guests. "Please forgive me, gentlemen, I appear to be trapped in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" today."

"Is everything OK?" Martin questioned the confusion on her face.

"Nothing to worry about."

The smile on her face as she sat down was one he'd seen on the face of his mother on numerous occasions. It was fake and never reached her eyes, but on Lily, it was also soft and almost flirty. Still, it didn't leave him with a good feeling. "What did Senator George have to say?"

Jack smirked at the look exchanged between the Lily and Martin. It was the same look he'd received from his ex-wife too many times. "Actually, Lily, we are almost done here. Like I said before, our plane doesn't leave for another," he checked his watch, "five hours. If there is something you need to take care of,"

"No, this situation needs to close before I can give my full focus to my job. Thank you for your offer."

"OK, then, I just need to get your statement of events and we will be out of your hair. After, of course, you give Danny a tour." He grinned and caused her to smile. "Whenever you're ready, I'll start the tape." He watched Martin move closer to her as all the color drained out of her face, the younger man gently messaging her neck as she took a deep breath. "Take your time, Lily."

An hour later, Martin followed as Lily left the dining room again, that same forced smile on her face, as though she had to disguise the fact that she was on the verge of tears again. No one, at least no one in the room anyway, expected her to be a rock, and when he placed his hand on her shoulder once they were within the safety of her father's office, she turned to him and lost all control. "Shh, Lil, I've got you. You're safe now." He whispered in her ear as he held her to his chest, her delicate female body hitching and wailing. Unlike his colleagues, Martin could relate to what she was feeling; the nightmares and the flashbacks, unable to remember without reliving the moment. "Sweetheart, you're going to be just fine now. We'll get you through this." He kissed her as she pulled away, tasting her tears, and gently cradled her face in his hands, listening to her take a ragged breath. "Just wait here, I'll get rid of them. You can give Danny a tour some other time."

"No," she composed herself, "I promised him a tour and I never break my promises."

"He'd understand, Honey."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't." She smiled and grabbed a tissue from the desk. "I'm fine. Thank you, Martin."

Kissing her again, he looked into her eyes. "You never have to thank me. Tiger Lily, I'm going to be your husband. I'll always be here for you."

The words, 'I'm going to be your husband', washed over her like a cleansing rain. They cleansed her of her fears, of her doubts, and she kissed him as she sighed. "I love you, Martin Fitzgerald." Smiling, she walked back to their guests. "Shall we go on a tour?"


	14. Chapter 14

Three months later, Martin straightened his tie and took a deep breath getting out of the cab at the Capital building, the fragrant scent of cherry blossoms filling his nose. The morning air outside was unseasonably warm for March and had been for the last week causing some of the trees to bud, a sure sign of Spring, but he was far from comfortable. He'd been subpoenaed to testify before a hearing of the Judicial Subcommittee of Congress in the official investigation into what caused Lily's kidnapping. The investigation had been opened by Ambassador Anderson, both he and Jack knew it, even his father knew it, but there was no way to quash it. Charles Anderson still had a lot of friends in high places and this case had threatened his daughter. Someone would pay for the personal attack.

Lily paced the outer office of Senator Todd George. Todd had called her from his private cell phone at five that morning wanting to see her in his office by eight, so there she was, waiting to be called in, and the worst was running though her head. "Todd," she began after she closed the door to his main office, "I really shouldn't be here. Considering I'm scheduled to testify before you and the sub-committee in a little over an hour."

"If anyone asks, you were here on the Donovan case." He sat down on the couch. "And there's not going to be a hearing."

She stopped pacing and looked at him shocked. "What?"

"You heard me, Lily. There's not going to be a hearing. I just came out of an emergency meeting where we voted to push the hearing off indefinitely."

"Did Daddy make a call?"

"I don't know, but The Speaker called me at home last night and said that he would consider it a personal favor if I were to convene an emergency session and vote to postpone the hearings."

She sat down and crossed her legs as she sighed. "Who did Ben get a call from?"

"I'm guessing the Director of DHS or your father, but I don't think Charles would have called DHS to get this swept back under the rug."

"This came as a total shock to me and I haven't heard any rumblings from my father about him being told to back off, so I'm guessing that somewhere there is a sacrificial lamb being escorted from a governmental building."

"Have you talked to your fiancée?" Todd actually grinned as he sipped his coffee.

"Funny." She laughed.

The intercom rang and Todd lost his smile as he answered it. "Send them in, Nancy. Thank you." He stood up and became the proper U.S. Senator he was trained to be, right down to the slick smile and the way he held his outstretched hand. "Special Agent Malone, it's good to meet you. Martin, it's good to see you again. Please have a seat."

"Hi." Martin kissed Lily's cheek before sitting down next to her on the couch.

"Gentlemen, thank you both for traveling all the way down here, can I have something brought in? Coffee? Breakfast?"

"No thank you, Senator." Jack spoke. "We'd just like to get this over with."

"I understand. Well, I know you have traveled a great distance today, but your testimony won't be necessary. The hearings have been postponed."

"When were they rescheduled for?" Jack didn't hide his contempt. It wasn't just a hassle coming down to D.C.; it took manpower away from open cases.

"That date hasn't been set yet, but as soon as it is, you will be my first call."

Lily fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Todd, I don't think they need to hear the party line. Jack, Martin, a call was made and the hearings pushed off the calendar."

"So, no investigation into the case?" Jack questioned.

"I can't control OPR, but I will certainly make a call on behalf of your team if you would like."

"No," Martin quickly jumped in, "that won't be necessary."

"OK, then, I'll walk you out."

"I hate politicians." Jack grumbled as they walked into the main hall.

"Don't talk to loudly. You are surrounded on all sides." Lily laughed. "In the grand scheme, though, Todd isn't all that bad when compared to most of the inhabitants of this building."

"Which one of the natives made the phone call that quashed the investigation?"

"I really wish I knew, but I can tell you that I will find out."

Martin sighed when he saw the familiar face walking down the hall towards them. "I don't think you're going to have to look too hard." He said under his breath as he straightened his suit and put on a phony smile. "Hi Dad."

"Martin, Jack," Victor Fitzgerald extended his hand to his son and Jack with a smile he'd perfected, it never reached his eyes, but still lit up his face, "a little bird told me you two might be here today." Looking to the right of his son, he reached out and embraced his future daughter-in-law. "Lily, you are more beautiful every time I see you."

"Hello Victor." Jack tried to prevent himself from laughing at the charade. Why Lily wanted to marry into that family was beyond him.

"Hello Jack. It's good to see that you're doing well." The false sentiment dripped from his tongue like a sticky nectar, coming off as much too sweet. "Jack, if you don't mind, I'd like to steal Martin and Lily for breakfast." He placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

Jack smiled, but only to curb the laughter at the look of pain on Martin's face. "I don't mind at all, Victor. Our flight isn't until five tonight. Keep him as long as you need."

"Great." He extended his hand again. "It was good to see you again, Jack."

"Same here. You kids have a good time."

"Something tells me he doesn't want to discuss the guest list for the wedding." Martin shook his head as he followed his father's car out into traffic. "I wish he would learn to just stop meddling in my life." He felt Lily take his hand. "Sorry, our lives."

"Sweetheart, we are from prominent D.C. families. Our parents, at least my parents, only had children to make themselves look good. We are merely chess pieces that they feel they can manipulate in order to gain more power and strength. I would have thought you would have known that by now."

"Just because I know it, doesn't mean I have to like it."

She laughed. "No one likes it, Honey, but you can't keep wasting your energy fighting it because it's going to happen whether you want it to or not."


	15. Chapter 15

Ten minutes later, he pulled the car up to the valet at the familiar country club clubhouse and quickly ran around to the passenger side before the attendant could take Lily's hand. "I've got her, thanks." He handed the kid a ten and took Lily's soft delicate hand, enjoying how the diamond sparkled in the late morning sun. The look she shot him caused him to smirk and he whispered in her ear as they walked in. "Now, how would it look if I allowed my fiancé to be helped to her feet by a parking attendant? Besides, with how good you look, I might have had to fight him for you."

"I'm in a business suit, not exactly the most attractive outfit I own, Martin." She smirked as she linked her arm with his.

"Can I help it if I could find you attractive in a burlap sack?" He kissed her temple as she laughed.

Waiting for the waiter to finish pouring the coffee and leave, Victor smiled again. "Your mother and I saw the engagement notice in the Washington Post yesterday morning." He looked to his son and then Lily. "I must say the photographer did a remarkable job."

After about ten minutes of small talk, Lily listened to Victor try to explain that there were a lot of factors that led to the hearings first being asked for and then being cancelled, the least of which was national security. No one wanted her case to be compromised or her investigators to be made public. Also, there was talk about why she did nothing to stop them on her end. "I didn't feel that they were worth burning a favor to quash. There are more important things, Victor, than burning an IOU to attempt to go against my father. We did nothing wrong and I had no problem with an outside investigator taking a look at the case. They weren't going to find anything." She should have seen the guilt trip coming. Victor had to burn some powerful favors to put an end to the investigation and hearings. Going against Charles Anderson was never easy.

"Which is why you didn't have to do anything, Dad." Martin jumped in, never one to sit idle when there was Victor Fitzgerald bashing to be done. "We were fine, though now it looks like Lily needs your help to protect her."

"Martin," Victor's tone changed and he lost his smile, "watch yourself. This comes from a place a lot higher up than even my pay grade. I merely did a favor for a friend, though I am sure that the appearance is that Lily is insulated by people in high places."

Lily sighed with a shake of her head and lost eye contact. "I hope your 'friend' promised you a big favor in return since it was his bad form in the first place."

Victor smiled again. "Don't worry, Lily. I know how to take care of myself. I've been in the game for too long."

An hour later, grateful the impromptu breakfast meeting with his father was over, Martin pulled Lily into an empty reception hall, kissing her as she laughed. "Do you remember the last time we were in here?" She shook her head and he kissed her again. "I'll give you a hint. You were wearing a stunning blue dress and a tiara."

She laughed. "You remember what I was wearing on prom night?"

"Like it was yesterday."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him. "You are a hopeless romantic, Secret Agent Man."

"So I've been told."

"Why don't we get married here?"

"I thought you wanted to get married at the estate?" Since he'd proposed, she'd been arguing with her mother to get married at her parent's estate. It wasn't like her to concede a point so easily.

"The estate only has significance to me. Here has significance for both of us."

He laughed. "Yeah, it reminds me of just how stupid I was in high school."

His blue eyes sparkled and her smile widened. "Then let's change that. This hall should hold three hundred people,"

"Wait a minute. What happened to small and intimate?"

"Our mothers happened." She rolled her eyes and watched him try not to laugh. "I'm sick of taking their calls everyday while I'm trying to work. They finally wore me down and I have resigned myself to having the Cinderella wedding I never wanted."

"I'll talk to my mom and see what I can do."

"No, you won't, Secret Agent Man." She straightened his tie, avoiding eye contact, afraid he'd see the fear in her eyes as she spoke. "You need to concentrate on not getting shot."

"Hey, Tiger Lily," he lifted her chin until he was looking into her deep blue eyes, "don't worry about that. I am always careful and the team is there to watch my back. Besides," he grinned, "I've already been shot once. It's not as much fun as the movies make it out to be." She smiled and shook her head before he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "So, Mrs. Fitzgerald, what do you say we go talk to someone about getting married."

"Say it again."

"Say what? Mrs. Fitzgerald?"

"Ugh," she cringed and shook her head, "no, that's your mother."

"Then how about Lillian Rose Fitzgerald?" He smirked as she smiled uncontrollably.

"That I could get used to. Say it again."

"Lillian Rose Fitzgerald, what do you say we go talk to the concierge about our wedding?"

"I say that is the best thing I have heard all morning." She linked her arm with his.


	16. Chapter 16

"Why don't you put down my mother's number?" Martin suggested with a smirk as they filled out the paperwork a few minutes later.

"I almost put down my mother's cell number." She grinned as she whispered in his ear. "Oh, and I'm going to put down my apartment number as your contact number. I don't want you to have to deal with any of this. You have an important position to concern yourself with. All you need to worry about is showing up in a tux."

"Lil," he shook his head with a smile, "stop it. I am capable of helping you with this and working. You are just as busy as I am and I don't want to abandon you with our mothers. Besides, I want to be involved in our wedding." She relaxed against him as he put his arm around her shoulders and smiled as they began the task of planning their wedding.

Jack looked up from the magazine he was reading at the gate with a smirk. "I was beginning to think your father had you reassigned."

Martin laughed slightly. "Not yet. Lily and I started making wedding arrangements."

"Now the fun begins. Everyone is going to have an opinion about what you should do, how you should do it, and nothing you say is going to matter. She may say that she wants your input now, but trust me, she's never going to do what you want."

He laughed again. "I'm pretty sure that neither one of us will have a thing to do with this wedding. It will be overdone very well by our mothers no matter how much we protest."

Jack smiled. "At least you're a realist. What about after the wedding? Have you two decided what city you are going to live in?"

"We've got a year to figure that out."

"Good luck with that." He went back to his magazine.

A month later, Martin awoke to the sounds of the city coming alive below his bedroom window. The April morning air was crisp and he pulled the blankets as high as he could without covering Lily's head, grateful when she rolled closer to him, her face nuzzling against his neck, allowing him to cover his exposed shoulder, and he sighed with a smile. She'd arrived late the night before without warning and with a look of sheer exhaustion.

"_Hey there, Beautiful." Martin smiled when he opened his apartment door and only received a tired smile in response as she walked in. "Long trip?"_

"_Long day." She dropped her bag by the door and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Promise me when we're married that we will move somewhere my mother can't find us."_

_He laughed. "Sweetheart, something tells me there is not a place on this earth that Andrea Anderson can't reach."_

"_Please don't say that. I've been on the phone with her all day, minus three hours for the meeting I had to go into, discussing the most minute of details of our wedding. Actually, it wasn't a discussion, it was a battle, and she was winning. To listen to her, you would think we were getting married in three weeks instead of next May. Do you know how close I came to telling her to do whatever the hell she wanted?"_

_Leaning down, he kissed her softly just to keep from laughing. "I'm sorry, Honey."_

_She kissed him again. "Don't be sorry, just help me forget."_

Helping her forget had been the easy part after being apart from her for two weeks. Her creamy skin had felt like satin against his, her long raven locks like strands of the world's finest silk in his hands, and, as they moved, their bodies were in tune like a well-rehearsed symphony, creating a perfect harmony. Their final crescendos had been impeccably timed, both able to enjoy the others, with Lily's coming first. He always allowed hers to come first, though, loving the way she always called out his name, and allowing her passion to carry him over the edge.

Lily began to slowly swim awake to the gentle feel of Martin's hand in her hair. She loved it when he would run his long nimble fingers through her hair. It was a soothing motion that was always able to relax her and make her smile. "Good morning." She kissed his neck. "What time is it?"

"Good morning." He kissed the top of her head. "It's morning."

They shared a laugh. "Seriously, funny man, what time is it?"

"It's early. I know that." He continued to smirk as she laughed again. "Do you really have to know? To see the clock, I'd have to let go of you and roll over."

"Then, by all means, I'll accept early. I just got warm."

"Exactly." Martin kissed the top of her head again. "What time is your train?"

"Sunday afternoon."

"Since it's only Thursday, I think you have time."

"I think so. What time do you have to be at work?"

"Later."

"One day," she sighed, "that will be the only answer." Suddenly, her smile was gone and she felt his arms tighten around her. "Why does this discussion always make me want to quit my job and live off my trust fund?"

He laughed and kissed her shoulder. "Because it makes me want to call my father and request a cushy D.C. assignment."

She started laughing harder. "I'll quit, you can spend the rest of your life indebted to your father, and we will both live miserably ever after."

Their laughter was infectious, each feeding the other, as it always had been, and it wasn't long before Martin felt tears in his eyes and he kissed her in an effort to catch his breath. "I think we've got problems, Lil."

"Tell me about it. Last week, I humored my mother and went looking at Georgetown townhouses as though we were going to become the perfect Beltway couple."

"Can you just see me with my shirt unbuttoned, an ascot around my neck, and a cardigan on sitting in some overly dark study drinking brandy and discussing the latest polls?"

"While I readied myself in a designer wool suit and white gloves to go meet the ladies at the club." She placed her hand on his chest. "Promise me we will never become that couple."

Leaning down, he kissed her again. "I promise we will never become that couple." His laugh faded to a smile. "Though you almost did become part of that couple." She looked at him confused. "With Toad."

"You mean with Todd?" She smirked and corrected him.

"That's what I said, with Toad." He grinned as she laughed. "You two had the perfectly decorated Georgetown townhouse while you two were in law school. Complete with the wood paneled study with fireplace and brandy snifter."

"Maybe, but I never had the wool suit and, if you remember, I went running from there screaming."

"Yeah, what was it about his ring that was different about mine?"

"You have to ask?" He didn't answer her. "Mainly, time. I was twenty-one when Todd purposed. All I could see was ending up like my parents, trapped in a loveless marriage from a young age because it was politically beneficial. I was beginning to feel suffocated and then I saw you." She smiled and touched his cheek. "I don't know if you know it or not, but we were supposed to be married years ago."

"I knew it. I just fought it because I knew I was never going to do what our parents wanted me to do."

"I figured." She looked away. "Sweetheart, don't feel guilty, please, but you were one of the big reasons as well. I saw what you did, actually having your own life, and I suddenly realized that I had always done what Senator and Mrs. Anderson had expected of me even if it wasn't what I wanted to do. The night I came to see you at Quantico six years ago, when you said what you said, something inside me snapped."

"I know." He smiled and kissed her. "And believe me, I don't feel guilty about telling you to take your life back. I know because of that I lost you for six years, but I would do it all over again. That night, Lil, you were dying inside because you were dreading the possibility of spending your entire life trapped with Toad in the Georgetown townhouse." She smiled and shook her head. "That's better."

She laughed. "Why do you insist on calling him Toad? You hadn't even met him until we started dating. He really is a good guy."

"I have always called him Toad, Lil. Mainly because it gets you to smile, but also because of the way he treated you. Honey, he took you for granted. The man was so stupid to not realize what he had until you were gone." She kissed him with a smile.


	17. Chapter 17

Jack Malone reread the memo on his desk twice. Washington had requested one of his agents for a special Homeland Security team out of D.C. There was no question that Vivian deserved the promotion, but it provided her with one other person from his team and he wasn't sure that being down two people on a team that only had six people was something he could live with. Not that he had a choice. What Washington wanted, Washington got, and he wasn't exactly in a position to fight. "Come in." He didn't look up.

Lily walked into Jack's office with her trademark smile three weeks after she left Martin's apartment. "I see you got the notification out of my office."

"This nonsense was sent by you? Lily, you know better than anyone else in D.C. that I can not spare two agents."

She sat down and crossed her legs. "Jack, you know better than anyone else in New York that nothing happens in D.C. without there being an ulterior motive. I have my own Homeland Security team assigned to my office that is made up of two agents from each agency and the agents rotate every six months. It just happens that next month the current rotation is up and someone somewhere at some level wanted to give Vivian her own team. I just made the request that she bring one person with her that she can trust because I don't have time or patience to deal with learning curves and comfort zones."

"You know that she's going to pick Martin as soon as she sees that it's for your office." He leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "Wouldn't have just been easier to put in your request for him?"

"Interesting theory, Jack, but I don't choose who gets assigned. That's up to the powers that be at each agency. I don't care who I get as long as they are the best."

"I have to tell you, Lily, I don't like that I'm losing two agents for six months."

She laughed. "You make it seem as though this is about your happiness." It was meant to be as cutting as it was though she delivered it with a smile. "This really is about throwing agents into the middle of the Colorado River and seeing if they can swim the Grand Canyon. Just point me in the direction of Agent Johnson, a conference room, and be happy that it's not you."

Unwilling to admit that she was right, he showed her into a conference room, and walked into the bullpen. "Viv, come with me for a minute."

"What's up?" Vivian did as she was told, but didn't like when she saw the same congressional legal attaché she'd worked with the previous year. "Ms. Anderson, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Thank you." Lily gestured for the agent to take a seat after they shook hands. "I don't know what Jack told you, but I am here to offer you a position."

"Jack actually didn't tell me anything."

"Well, then," she pulled out a file from her briefcase, "I assure you that this file has a lot more pronouns visible." Her comment was able to place the agent at ease. "Agent Johnson, your leadership ability has not gone unnoticed. Between your own taskforce, heading this unit for a time, and working for me last year, you have made quite an impression on some people down in Washington. That goodwill has led to your name being suggested to head my DHS team for the next six months." The agent across from her only nodded. "Agent Johnson, please, feel free to speak freely. This is a completely voluntary assignment and I'd like to get your opinion."

"I have to be honest, Ms. Anderson. It doesn't feel voluntary."

"I've heard that from almost every agent who has been offered this position." Her smile widened. "Why don't I lay out what the job entails and then you can ask me any question you want until you feel comfortable?"

"That sounds fair."

"I'm glad because, I have to say, I've read your file and I agree with the decision out of the Hoover Building." Lily smiled her trademark smile again and crossed her legs as she leaned back slightly in her chair, acutely aware of her body language, and attempting to place Vivian at ease. "As you know, I am the legal attaché to the Judicial Subcommittee of Congress. I have two attorneys under me and we all have cases that come across our desks that require investigation. That is why the Department of Homeland Security assigns my office a special team of agents. In the interest of national security, this team is made up of six agents that rotate every six months. There are two from the FBI, two from ATF, and two from DHS. Each agency's higher-ups assigns the two agents based on merit and the supervision cycles. Beginning next month, it is the FBI and your name was on the top of the list that landed on my desk last week." The agent was actually listening intently. "The investigations that originate out of my office are incredibly sensitive. Sometimes they turn into major cases and sometimes they are bogus reports by paranoid civilians. Either way, I need agents who I can trust to make that distinction and a supervisory agent who knows how much manpower to allocate to each case. It will not be like you have it here. There will not be one case at a time. At any given time, I have five to ten cases on my desk awaiting a report and each of my attorneys have from three to six. Before I move on, does that sound like something you can handle?"

Vivian sat back and crossed her legs. "Would I be required to lead each simultaneous investigation?"

"Absolutely not, but you would be required to stay on top of each of them and know when to pull the plug and when to jump in to steer it down the proper path."

"That sounds reasonable."

"Now for the perks of working for a congressional subcommittee. You would be based out of Washington for these six months with housing provided for you and your family for the length of your term, but, it has been my experience that agents rarely move their families since you will rarely see the inside of your apartment. The position requires a lot of travel, though you are allowed to return home for at least one week a month. The summer does allow for more time off, but we will get into the schedule during orientation." She watched Vivian becoming more and more intrigued. "Please feel free to interview Agents Taylor, Spade, and Fitzgerald, and chose one to join you on your team. I must remind you, though, that technically my office does not exist. My position and my attorneys are on the books as being legal researchers. Can I trust you to keep this discreet?"

"Of course."

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"Just one. Do I really have a choice of agents or are the interviews just for show and I will be required to pick Agent Fitzgerald?"

Lily laughed. "It is quite amusing that here in New York I have the stigma of being Martin's fiancé and in Washington I had to overcome being Ambassador Anderson's daughter. Agent Johnson, when you get to know me, you will realize that I am my own woman. I made the request that you be allowed to take Agents Taylor, Spade, or Fitzgerald so you would have at least one friendly face that is used to your leadership skills not because I wanted an excuse to reassign Martin. The choice is yours, but I must request that Agents Malone and Delgado not be considered. Jack because of his past indiscretions and Agent Delgado because she is just too new and her ex-husband poses a risk that I am just not willing to take."

"OK, that's understandable. How long do I have to decide?"

"To make the decision or choose the team member?"

"Both, I guess."

"I am only going to be in New York until tomorrow at three in the afternoon so I need to have your decision by then. As for your team member, I can wait until Tuesday, but no later than Wednesday because I need to start the paperwork increasing your security clearances."

"I'll let you know by then."

"Thank you." She stood up as Vivian did. "I feel I need to tell you this, Agent Johnson. Your work really is exemplary and there are a lot of people who have gone to bat to get your name at the top of my list." They shook hands. "I'll look forward to speaking with you tomorrow."


	18. Chapter 18

Martin watched the woman in the elegant deep blue pant suit as she glided into the bullpen. Her long raven hair was allowed to flow down between her shoulder blades, restrained only at her temples, and her smile lit up her bright blue eyes when she walked into the bullpen. He stood up and lowered his voice. "Hi, Tiger Lily."

"Hi there, Secret Agent Man." She smiled and watched his blue eyes sparkle. "Are you free for lunch?"

"I actually do not have a case right now so I think I can take my fiancé to lunch." Grabbing his suit coat, he straightened his tie and held his arm out to her.

She gladly linked her arm with his. "How did you get so lucky not to have a case?"

"We just found a husband who ran off with his mistress. What brings you to New York without a phone call to me?"

She laughed as they walked, wrapping her arm around his bicep. "What else would bring me up here?"

"Work had you talking to Vivian?" He held the door to the restaurant. "What kind of case has you talking to Viv?"

"One I can't talk about." Suddenly her cell phone rang and she smiled. "Saved by the bell." That smile was gone when she answered, though. "Hi Mrs. Fitzgerald. Yes, I see that you sent an email, but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I just got out of a meeting."

Martin watched as his beautiful fiancé sighed and prepared to do battle with his mother. Reaching for the phone, he nodded at her silent attempt to protest, and took the receiver. "Hi Mom."

"You didn't have to do that. I've become rather skilled at dealing with her." Lily smiled when he handed her back her phone ten minutes later.

"So I heard." He smiled and watched her laugh, her brilliant blue eyes turning bright and sparkling in the soft sunlight streaming in the restaurant windows. "No, I think you've got enough on your plate. Why don't you let me deal with my mother and you deal with yours?"

"I think that is a deal I can live with.'

"So, what sort of case brings you to New York?" He smirked as she laughed again. "And, yes, I am going to hound you until you tell me." She just smiled at him and shook her head. "OK," he brushed a lock of her raven hair out of her face, "I guess I'll just have to ask Vivian." Again, she laughed and he leaned over and kissed her.

The next morning, Lily awoke to an empty bed and the sound of her cell phone. Martin was getting too good at leaving without waking her up. "This is Lily."

"Yes, Lily, this is Agent Vivian Johnson. I wanted to call to let you know that I've accepted the position."

"That is the best news I've heard all day." She smiled. "Thank you. I look forward to working with you."

"Same here." She paused. "I'll be conducting the interviews today. Would you care to sit in?"

"It's best that I don't, but thank you for the offer."

Later that same morning, Martin was called into a small conference room one floor below the bullpen and handed a file by Vivian. As he read the details of the position she was interviewing for, he knew immediately why she hadn't wanted to talk about why she was in New York unannounced and why she had stayed at a hotel the night before, not that it made any difference, they still spent the night together, but she was attempting to shield the fact that she was recruiting for her DHS team. "Hey, Tiger Lily, ducking my calls isn't going to change the fact that we need to talk, and I don't mean about the wedding." He smiled as he left his third message an hour after meeting with Vivian, but it faded. "Please, Lil, just call me back."

That afternoon, Lily arrived back at her office. "Hi Diane, any calls?" The brown haired woman handed her a stack of messages. "Martin called six times? In four hours? That must be a record." She laughed.

"It sounded urgent. He said you weren't picking up your cell."

"Because I was on the phone with Senator Hathaway for most of the trip down." She laughed again. "I guess he's talked to Agent Johnson."

"Speaking of Agent Johnson, she called as well. It seems that she has made her decision."

"Intriguing." Quickly, she scanned through the paper until she saw Vivian's message, and her smile was suddenly gone. "Diane, get me Agent Johnson on the phone now!"

Lily's tone was gruff, business-like, highly unusual for her, and Diane knew that her boss had seen Agent Johnson's choice. "Yes, Ma'am."

"No," she shook her head, "wait." Taking a deep breath, she took control of her temper. "Bring me the personnel files for Agents Fitzgerald, Spade, and Taylor."

"They're on your desk."

"This is why you can never quit, Diane. You anticipate my every move. Thank you." Locking herself in her office, Lily quickly cleared her whiteboard, rolled up her sleeves, and began getting down to the business of evaluating Agent Johnson's pick for her team.

"Director Fitzgerald is on line two for you, Lily." Diane's voice came through the intercom twenty minutes later. "Should I tell him you're busy?"

"No, thanks. I'll take it."

"Lily, I thought we had an arrangement?" Victor's voice quivered with anger. He was livid, incensed by the decision his future daughter-in-law had made. "Martin was not supposed to be on the short list."

"Yeah, I know, but I was steering enough by removing Agents Malone and Delgado from the mix. I couldn't have sat there in the process and told Agent Johnson that Martin's name was on the list just for show. It was bad enough I could only give her three names to choose from, Victor. Believe me, this is not the ideal situation I envisioned. I never believed that Agent Johnson was going to choose Martin."

"See that she changes her mind, Lily."

"Or else what? What are you going to do that hasn't already been done to this office before, Victor? My position was created by people higher than you. I've had my budget threatened to be slashed, almost brought up on federal charges for doing my job, but getting kidnapped for my trouble, and I'm still here. Please don't think that threatening me is going to accomplish anything." She was very adept at playing the political game. "If I say anything to Agent Johnson, it looks like I am steering and that Martin needs his daddy to look out for him. It won't work and you know it."

"This is much too dangerous a position. I won't approve the transfer."

Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not up to you or about you or even me for that matter, Victor. Realize that right now." She sighed. "Look, I'm not happy about this either, but I have to live with it, and so do you. I've gone back over the personnel files and I'm afraid that Agent Johnson made the right decision. Even if I had made the decision blind like I usually do, I would have ended up picking Martin. His intellect and skill do set him apart. Agent Taylor is a bit of a hothead with authority issues. Agent Spade," she thought how to phrase her statement politely.

"Is a good agent, but will sleep with anything in pants? Yeah, I know." Victor sighed. "Agents Delgado and Malone are much too risky for a position this delicate so I guess Martin is it." He shook his head.

"I'm guessing you are regretting limiting Agent Johnson's choices to the Missing Persons Squad right about now."

"Don't rub it in, Lily. No one likes being told I told you so."

"Sometimes it's necessary so they don't make the same mistake twice."

"This is my son we're talking about. I will protect him at all costs."

"Victor, the summer session has more time off than anything else. Besides, he's a very capable agent and man. He'll be fine." Her private line began blinking and Diane mouthed that Martin was calling when she stepped into the office. "I've got to go. I'm sure we'll discuss this subject later."

"I see you finally made it back to D.C." Martin's voice was laced with sarcasm. "I was beginning to worry."

"Martin, Honey," she took a deep breath, "can you come down here tonight? We need to talk and not over the phone."

"I'd say. I just talked to Viv."

"That's what we need to discuss before this goes any further."

"I'm on the next train."


	19. Chapter 19

Four hours later, Lily looked up from the paperwork she was pretending to fill out when her office door opened, and she smiled ruefully. "Hey there."

"Hey." Martin attempted to smile as he sat down in front of her desk.

"First of all, I have to say I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. This was,"

"My father's doing?" He interrupted. "Yeah, I figured that out. It has all the earmarks of a Victor Fitzgerald scheme to punish Jack Malone. What I need to know is why you felt you couldn't come to me and tell me what was going on."

The first tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. "Because it wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't supposed to be you." She looked at him shocked. "Yeah, I'd probably be speechless too." She took a deep breath. "OK, let me tell you how this usually goes." Wiping her face, she composed herself. "Normally, I'm given a box of personnel files from each agency that includes ten agents on the short list to make my team. There are no names, just fitness reports and the like. I then spend about a week sorting through them and making my decision. It's only then that I learn their names, after I've already submitted them for temporary reassignment."

"That's real good, Lil, but something tells me my father changed the rules this time."

"You always were able to see through the thickest of political veils." She forced a smile. "About a month ago, I get a phone call from Todd, Senator George, saying that he's changing thinks up for next session's selections. I'm to offer Vivian Johnson the supervisory agent role and tell her that she had her choice of agents to bring with her, all from the Missing Persons Unit. I withdrew Elena and Jack from the mix so it left you, Danny, and Samantha. Victor wanted me to remove your name, but I couldn't. I never expected Vivian to choose you. She was supposed to choose Danny. I'm sorry."

"Why?" He was in a state of shock.

"Because you weren't supposed to be put into harm's way." She wiped the tears that had reappeared on her cheeks.

"I can take care of myself, Lily. I really wish both you and my father would remember that I made it through Quantico on my own with no help from anyone."

"I know, Martin, I know." The tears began flowing faster as he walked to the window, his back to her. "But I've buried more members of my team than all of the other agencies have combined, save the CIA, and I didn't want to do that to you."

"Don't you think that I deserved to make that decision myself?"

"Martin,"

"When is everyone going to realize that I don't need anyone's help?"

"Martin," her voice cracked as her emotions got the best of her, "I never meant for this to happen."

"You never meant for what to happen? For me to find out or for me to be selected?" He seethed as he turned and glared at her.

"Both."

"You know," he looked away from her, "I was thinking of turning the position down, regardless of what it would look like in my jacket, because I didn't want to put you in a position of having to be my boss, but I don't even know you, so I don't think it's going to be a problem." Grabbing his coat, he slammed the door behind him as he left.

Lily collapsed into her chair, a sobbing mess of emotions, her face buried in her hands. "Diane," she said into the intercom after about a minute, "get me Victor Fitzgerald on the line. I don't care if you have to wake him up at home. I want to talk to him in the next five minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You son of a bitch!" Lily didn't care about politics two minutes later when she picked up Victor's call. "Do you realize just what you've done?"

"Lillian Anderson, one phone call to your father and you are out of a job. Do not take that tone with me." Victor shot back.

"You think you can threaten to sic my father on me? I don't care anymore, Victor. You have ruined the one thing in my life that I truly care about and for what? For some misplaced, too little too late, sense of fatherly love? Martin's taking the position, Victor, because we screwed up. We pushed him into taking a position because I listened to you. I let politics guide my decision and now I have lost the one thing in my life that ever mattered."

Just then, Martin barged into his office. "I'll call you back." He hung up and tried to force a smile. "Martin, Son, it's good to see you."

Martin landed a right cross against his father's jaw before the older man knew what was happening. "How dare you? My life, my career, is none of your concern. Stay out of my life!"

"Martin!" Victor came out of his state of shock as he rubbed his jaw. "Just listen to me. This was for your own good."

"How the hell is controlling what positions I take for my own good?"

"Because you will be governed only by the Patriot Act and most terrorists don't care that you are getting married to the woman of your dreams in less then a year before they start shooting. I have attended too many funerals for good agents who signed on to Lily's team and I will not attend yours. I called in this favor because I believe that Agent Johnson deserves the recognition she's not getting under Jack Malone,"

"No, you called in the favor because you've had a vendetta against Jack for years now."

"You are still my son. Whether you perceive a vendetta or not, you weren't supposed to be on the short list because I've already sat by your bedside watching you recover from a near fatal gunshot wound once already. I don't want to have to do it again."

"Then why was I on the short list? Why was I even up for consideration if I wasn't supposed to be picked?"

"Because Lily didn't want to be accused of steering Agent Johnson's decision." He motioned for his son to take a seat. "You see, Martin, it was my decision to limit who Vivian was allowed to choose and Lily rightfully chose to leave Agents Delgado and Malone out of the process. Leaving your name off would have been too suspicious and neither Lily nor I thought that you would actually be selected. Though Lily was the one who reminded me that you are a very capable agent, when you're not trying to punish me, and you would be fine."

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Lily had taken the blame rather than tell him that it was his father's doing because she didn't want to commit political suicide, or else ruin the fragile relationship that he and Victor had developed since the engagement. "From now on, Dad," he glared at the man behind the desk as he stood up, "don't do me any favors."

Lily leaned against the wall of windows at her condo and stared out at the lights of Washington D.C. She'd drafted her letter of resignation and it sat, signed, on her coffee table, ready to be handed to Todd whenever he arrived. Her job had ruined its last relationship. It just wasn't worth it any longer. Between her investments and her trust fund, she never had to work another day in her life, and she planned to spend as many days as it took trying to explain herself to Martin, until he took her back. She couldn't lose him again.

Suddenly, her important position that she had worked so hard to earn meant nothing. All the respect, the political power, all the accolades, left her feeling empty. Having had legislation that she'd drafted passed by Congress, being responsible for taking down sleeper cells, advising a Senate sub-committee, even having IOUs all over the city across the river from her window, were all hollow victories because she wasn't truly happy unless she was with Martin. "It's about time." She said as she went to answer the doorbell. "I called you forty-five minutes ago. Let me guess, traf–," her sentence caught in her throat when she opened the door. "Martin."

"I'm guessing you were expecting someone else because forty-five minutes ago I was slugging my father." He tried to smile, but her beautiful blue eyes were red and puffy from crying and her normal beautiful glow was gone, making her skin pale and ashen. "May I come in?"

"Mm hmm." She stepped aside, tears returning to her eyes as she closed the door, and she tried to take a deep breath.

"Lily," he placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her body hitch, "I'm sorry."

"No," she pulled away, turning to face him as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, "I'm the one who is sorry." Holding up her hand, she silenced him. "Please, Martin, just let me get through this."

"You don't have to, Lil. I know now that it wasn't your fault, that it was all my father."

"That's where you are wrong." She shook her head and walked back into the living room. "Because it is my fault. It's my fault because I went along with it, because I put my stupid career ahead of our relationship, and I don't know why other than to say that it's what because that's what I've always done. I've always tried to play the political game, to make my decisions based on what I can get down the road in terms of favors, and I lost sight that I was playing that game with your life. You did deserve to make the decision on your own."

Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her, tasting her tears as he did. "Stop it, Lil. I now know the whole story. I know that you didn't want to be accused of protecting the Director's son."

"Is that what I did?"

"It is, Lil." She shook her head and pulled away again. "Look, I had no right to take out my frustration at being perceived as Deputy Director Fitzgerald's kid out on you."

"Yes, you did, because that's exactly how I was treating you, and for once, I thought you might actually go with it."

He looked at her stunned. "When have you ever known me to accept a handout from my father?"

She kept her back to him, unwilling to see the anger, even hatred, which she thought was in his eyes. "I thought you might withdraw your name because I was being selfish. I was thinking of me, how I didn't want to have to be a widow before I was a wife."

"But you left my name on the list."

"I guess I didn't want to be accused of protecting the Deputy Director's son."

The smile on her face was sad when she turned back to face him. "Because you never thought that I would be chosen."

"No, I didn't, but I went back and reviewed the files the way I would have if I had told your father to go to hell, and I would have chosen you. I guess Vivian made the right choice."

"No," he kissed her again, "you did." As they embraced, her tears flowing like rain against his chest, he kissed the top of her head. "You can't lose me, Lil. Never again. I'm not going anywhere." Kissing her again, he carried her to the bedroom. He needed her closer than just in his arms. He'd almost thrown away the last year of their life together over something so stupid as not seeing one of his father's charades. Their fathers had separated them once before and he wasn't going to let that happen again. He loved her, he needed her, and he didn't care what it cost them.

When she felt him slide into her depths, she suddenly, finally, felt warm. Watching him storm out of her office had left her cold, even in the unusually warm Spring they were having. Without him, she felt dead inside, but as they moved together, the world began to fall away. All of her worries, her guilt, melting from the heat they created.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Martin carefully and quietly slid out of bed and went to make coffee before Lily woke up. It was going to be like a typical Saturday morning for them, he promised himself. Their argument, their distrust, gone like the darkness, but when he sat down on the couch to await the knock of the breakfast delivery, he saw the signed letter on her letterhead.

_Honorable Members of the Judicial Subcommittee of The United States Congress:_

_Effective immediately, I, Lillian Rose Anderson, do tender my resignation. After careful consideration, I feel I can no longer be effective and perform my duties to the best of my abilities in my current position and feel it is time for me to move on. There are two highly competent attorneys in my office that would be able to fill the gap left by my absence and I leave the decision of which one should in your capable hands._

_For the past seven years, I have dutifully served with honor on behalf of this subcommittee and it is with a heavy heart that I make my decision to leave. This position will always be a sense of pride for me and I thank you all for the opportunity and trust that this committee has shown me._

_Best regards,_

_Lillian R. Anderson_

Martin sat on the couch stunned. It explained why Senator Todd George was in her lobby last night at eight o'clock and just who she had expected at her door. It didn't explain why she had drafted it. "Morning." He forced a smile when he heard her open the bedroom door. "Coffee's up and breakfast will be here any minute."

"Thank you." Lily smiled, but it faded when she saw what was in his hand.

"Are you serious?"

"As serious as a heart attack."

"Why?"

"I just can't do it anymore. I can't play the game. The stakes are too high."

"Tiger Lily," he kissed the top of her head as he took her into his arms, "don't punish yourself for something I did. You were trying to tell me what happened and I just wasn't listening."

"Sweetheart, it's over."

"It's not over until Toad comes over this afternoon and gets this."

"He was supposed to be by last night."

"Yeah, I know." He grinned. "I sort of sent him away. Now, I'm glad I did." Ripping the paper in half, he threw it back onto the table. "No printing another one, Lil. OK?"

"OK." She laughed and kissed his neck.

That afternoon, Martin held her hand as they walked through the touristiest parts of D.C. It had been his idea, wanting to be where they could limit the number of people who would recognize them, wanting to spend the day only with her, not wanting to share her with anyone, and they easily blended into the crowd. Her in a soft cotton t-shirt and faded blue jeans, her long raven locks touching the waistband, and him in about the same, blended perfectly into the early Spring crowd bustling to see the cherry blossoms and historic sites. Kissing her temple, he slid his hand onto the small of her back, her silky luxurious tresses warming his hand. "Anywhere specific you want to go?" She didn't answer him, just lay her head on his shoulder, and he took her hand back in his, feeling just how cold it had gotten. "Come on, Southern Deb, I'm going to buy you a hot chocolate." Pulling her into a little café, he took her into his arms as they slid into a booth. "Better?"

"Much."

He kissed the top of her head. "You've been awfully silent."

"I'm just enjoying the day and having you all to myself."

"I know the feeling."

"Martin?" She asked once they blended back into the tourists.

"Lily?"

"Do we have to go back to work on Monday?"

He laughed and kissed her temple. "I'm afraid so. Though, I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to have a job on Monday since I decked my father yesterday."

"Honey, if Jack can get away with all the stuff that he pulls, I'm pretty sure your emotional outburst will be chalked up to you working for Jack for too long." She smiled as he laughed again. "I just don't want to go back to the office on Monday. I want to spend everyday for the rest of our lives like today."

"I wish we could, Lil."


	21. Chapter 21

Three weeks later, Lily took a deep breath, straightened her suit jacket, and prepared to go meet the newest members of her DHS team, Martin included. She'd done it before, twice a year for the past six years, but as she grabbed her coffee, the butterflies in her stomach began twisting her into knots. It was just another team, she told herself as she placed her hand on her office doorknob, but it wasn't just another team. The team sitting in the briefing room contained her fiancé and the knot in the pit of her stomach reminded her of just what was at risk for the six new agents she was about to give orientation to.

Martin watched her walk into the room with an authoritative stride and determined look that he'd never seen before. It looked good on her, but it wasn't what he was used to seeing. Part of him wanted to massage her shoulders, to calm her down, but they'd agreed the night before to keep their relationship professional at the office, though she didn't care who knew they were engaged. It was a far cry from the distance he had to maintain when he and Sam had dated.

"Let's get started, shall we?" She smiled and waited for all the agents to take their seats. "First, let's take care of the introductions. I'm Lillian Anderson, Legal Attaché to the Judicial Subcommittee of the United States Congress. Yes, that does actually fit on my business cards, but no, it doesn't fit so well on my driver's license." She smiled as the agents chuckled. It was her standard line to break the ice, but it worked, so she kept using it. "All that long title means is that I am the lead attorney attached to the subcommittee. I'm the one who works with the senators to choose who has to sit in the hot seat at a hearing and which cases really aren't political hot buttons enough to warrant our time. At least, that's what it says on paper." She put up her PowerPoint presentation on the screen. "The truth behind this office, why you six have been selected, is there are certain cases too politically sensitive to be handed off to typical agents. What we handle are domestic threats and about half of them turn out to be nothing more than reports from paranoid citizens, but there are the ones that require mobilization of taskforces to be taken down." The agents all nodded. "You have all been selected because you possess discretion as well as skill, but this is a voluntary assignment, and it is not what you are used to. Last year, more agents from this team have been killed or injured in the line of duty than any other team in all of your agencies combined. So, if this is not what you thought you were signing up for, then by all means, leave now. Once we leave this orientation and you begin your assignments, there is no backing out." She paused but, as usual, no one stood up. "Good, then we'll move on to chain of command and some of the perks of working for a Senate subcommittee."

The rest of the day was spent listening to introductions, being brought up to speed on cases, and filling out bureaucratic paperwork. It reinforced just how much he detested Washington, but at the end of twelve hours, Martin forgot all of it when Lily walked into his cubicle, briefcase in hand, and smiled at him. "I'm going to have to come in early to finish this paperwork."

"I can attest to the fact that it always remains right where you leave it."

"I'm just worried about my new boss and what she's going to say if it's not sitting on her desk first thing tomorrow morning." He winked at her as he grabbed his suit coat. "I hear she's a real tough cookie."

"I'll put in a good word for you." She laughed and linked her arm with his. "So, how was your first day?"

"Boring, but I'm pretty sure this is the exception rather than the rule."

"After August, yes, but I can't guarantee the action that Missing Persons gave you."

He kissed the top of her head as they stepped into the elevator. "That's OK. I have you at the end of the day. That's all I need."

"You may wish you were back in New York when I tell you where we have to stop before going home."

"You talked to my mother?" His smile was suddenly gone.

"She called you?"

"She wanted to see how everything was going and to invite us for dinner at the club. I told her I had to talk to you. I didn't mean for her to call you."

"Martin, it's probably better that she did because I was able to talk her out of dinner and into cocktails. We should be out of there in an hour."

He laughed. "I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you."

They met his parents at a small table by the bar and his mother had immediately started in with the problems she was having with the guest list and could Lily talk to her mother. By the time they'd finished two bottles of wine, Lily was more than happy to agree to just about anything.

The promise of one hour had turned into two and cocktails had turned into dinner, but Martin still had a smile on his face as he ushered Lily down the hall to her apartment. Her usual graceful glide replaced by a shoeless stumble step. Her designer heels had been kicked off in the ride up from the garage but it didn't help her stay upright. Then again, that was what his arm was around her waist for.

"Why did you let me drink so much? I never drink that much."

"My mother makes people drink like that, Tiger Lily." He laughed as he opened the door to the apartment. "Besides, it was fun to watch."

"I'm glad I could be the evening's entertainment." She laughed, but tripped over her own foot when she walked in, falling right into Martin's arms. "Mmm, thank you." Her eyes locked with his and her laugh faded to a smile. "Do you know just how handsome you are? Have you ever thought about leaving the FBI and modeling?"

He laughed again as he set her on her feet. "I have never seen you like this before."

"Yes you have, Mr. Fitzgerald." There was a look of confusion on his face. "Don't you remember that party senior year, after the homecoming game, at Charles Harper's house?" Martin shook his head. "I know you were there with the Barbie girl of the moment."

"No, Lily, I wasn't there. If you remember Suzy Connors broke up with me right before homecoming senior year. So, I didn't go to homecoming."

"Then how did I get home?"

"Bobby, the butler with a heart." He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist again, kissing her neck. "That man has adopted you as his own daughter, Tiger Lily."

"Yeah, well, he has been a de facto member of the family since my grandfather hired him." She kissed him. "Unlike you who just breeze in and out when you like."

"Not anymore, Lil. Come May, you won't be able to get rid of me no matter how hard you try." Leaning down, he kissed her again with more passion.

"There are easier ways of taking advantage of me than threatening a good time." She laughed.

"Oh really? Name one."

"All you have to do is smile, Honey."

"I'll have to remember that."

After a nice long shower had sobered her enough that the room had stopped spinning, Lily happily went to Martin's arms as he watched the Nationals game from their bed. Not really having an interest in baseball beyond sheer enjoyment of the skill of the sport, she decided to check the messages left on the voicemail. "Hon," she looked up at him during a commercial break, "someone named Mike called for you. Do you want to listen to the message?"

"No need. He's my NA sponsor. I'll call him once I find a meeting." Kissing her temple, he returned his focus back to the game.

"How does one find a meeting? I wouldn't think that there would be something that would be widely publicized."

"Not in an area like D.C., but I have a list from the website. It'll be fine."

"OK." She smiled and made herself comfortable his shoulder, the cotton of his t-shirt soft against her cheek. The sensation almost made her sigh. Neither of them was running for a train or a plane, they would both still be there in the morning. As much as she hadn't wanted Martin to take the position on Vivian's team, she was grateful he had.


	22. Chapter 22

Saturday morning was gray and muggy, but Martin still ran the twelve blocks to the Narcotics Anonymous meeting. The forecasters had been calling for rain for the past four days, but he took the chance. He hadn't had a good run all week and he wasn't familiar with the area enough to take the car. So, he left Lily asleep on their bed and headed for the nondescript community center. There in the basement of the building that paid homage to bad seventies architecture, he found several casually dressed bureaucrats holding down the faded linoleum. They were all recognizable from their pictures on campaign photos and the newspaper articles written about them. All powerful men and women, low-level politicians and senatorial aides mostly, but there were even a few people he recognized who worked with his father, but there was one who stood out. "Hi Todd."

"Martin," the senator looked at him shocked, "what are you doing here?"

"The same thing you're doing here." Martin smiled as they shook hands.

"Of course. Right." Todd laughed. "I apologize for my lack of manners. I just never expected to see you here."

"Two years ago I would have agreed with you."

"Almost five years for me." He sat down next to the agent. "Does Lily know?"

"About what? That I'm a recovering addict? Yeah, she found out before we started dating. Why? She doesn't know about you?"

"No, I've never told her. I didn't think she needed to know that I was high while we were together."

"I'm sure she would understand."

Todd laughed. "I wish it were that simple, Martin, but as I'm sure you know, things are never simple inside the beltway. I'd love to tell her, but I lose my appearance as holding a position of authority."

"Over Lily?" Martin couldn't contain his laugh. "I'm sorry. I just find that comical. Todd, she may be your employee, but she's also your friend. She's known you for years and was even engaged to you. She probably knew you were an addict before you did."

"I wouldn't doubt it. It might even be the reason she never said yes when I proposed, but it's not something that I really feel comfortable discussing with her."

"It's up to you. I'll never tell her."

"Thanks."

Martin looked at the floor. "You're welcome, but I have to tell you. It's mainly out of guilt because she came to me the night you proposed. I might have had something to do with her not accepting."

Todd laughed again. "I figured. She never wanted to be some senator's wife, always had dreams of getting out of this arena, so it never surprised me that she didn't accept, but I knew she went to see you the night I proposed. She has always admired you and valued your opinion. You are probably the only one too." He laughed again. "I think it has something to do with the fact that you have always been able to thumb your nose at your father and do as you pleased."

"It hasn't always worked and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but I never have played politics very well."

"You might want to start considering you now have an IOU from me." He whispered with a smile as the meeting began. "I owe you for not telling Lily. Just remember, it's a one shot deal. So, play it wisely. If you need help, let me know. I've been in the game my entire life. I'm not an expert, but I'm above average."

Favors in Washington had never meant much to him, but, Martin thought to himself as he ran back to Lily's apartment, having Todd owing him might come in handy one day. Todd never struck him as more than a puppy on Charles Anderson's string being led everywhere the ambassador wanted him to go. Listening to him speak that morning had changed that. Addiction had a way of leveling playing fields and humbling egos.

The sound of Martin starting the shower awoke Lily from her dream of walking down a white sand beach, her white linen dress blowing in the warm breeze coming off the sparkling white capped water. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face, hear the sound of the waves crashing, and see Martin standing in the distance waiting for her. The beige suit he was wearing looked perfect on him, lightweight and with the white dress shirt left unbuttoned to the third button. He smiled and held out his hand, but she woke up before she reached him.

The door to the shower stall opened and he felt Lily's hands on his back before he could turn around. She pressed her beautiful body to his, sliding her arms around his chest, and he kissed her hands, feeling her sigh. Her lips were soft and warm as she began caressing his shoulder blades and he had to drop her hands so he could grip the wall as she slowly kissed down his spine. Her touch was so gentle and always able to make him feel things he couldn't even name much less define.

She heard his breath coming faster and slid her hands over his slick torso as she continued her tender caresses. The water was warm as it fell over them, but it was nothing compared to the heat that they were generating between them. His sculpted body radiated a temperature that permeated deep into her soul, threatening to cause a fever to go along with her delirium. The entire week she'd felt like an engaged woman was supposed to feel, hopelessly in love with her fiancé. Somewhere between Monday night and Saturday morning, she'd lost the constant fear of having to make the most of their time together because she'd become accustomed to Martin still being next to her in the morning.

Turning around, he kissed her lips with all the passion that she had arisen in him. She felt so good against him, her skin slick beneath his hands as he slid them down her creamy thigh. She had a way of filling his every sense, of making the world fall away. Whenever they were together, there was no one else in the whole world. Somewhere in the past week, he'd come to the realization that it was no longer painkillers that filled his thoughts. It was Lily Anderson. She had become his first thought in the morning and his last thought before he drifted off to sleep at night, and as he slid inside her depths, he knew she was one addiction he never wanted to give up.

Never had she felt the sensations she felt when Martin began taking her against the shower wall. The feeling of the water cascading around them as if they were standing in a tropical waterfall straight out of some romantic movie, the feel of their two moist and warm bodies moving as one, set off the most intense climax she had ever experienced. It started with a moan before her lungs froze, the heat of the pleasure spreading through her body faster than a wildfire and hotter than a volcano, finally reaching her brain and making her cry out for him, grinding herself against him.

The sensation of her delicate yet strong body convulsing around him, the sound of her calling out his name, watching her face reveal the pleasure she was experiencing, sent him over the edge, and he pulled her to him, thrusting against her one final time before he exploded with the same indescribable intense passion. He'd never connected with a woman on so many different levels as he did with Lily and he was finding it made everything more pleasurable.

"Hmm?" Martin's fingers had been stroking her hair as they relaxed on their bed, but he stopped when he kissed the top of her head, and she looked up at him from her place against his chest. "What did you say?"

"I said that I was just thinking we should go away for the Fourth. Just you and me on a tropical beach somewhere."

"That sounds nice." Lily settled back down against his shoulder, his fingers resuming their tracks in her hair. "We do get two weeks, but I thought you wanted to go back to New York."

"New York will still be there. When was the last time you and I went on a vacation together?"

"Um, does the time your parents went to Tuscany and let you stay at the estate count?"

"No." He laughed.

"Then the answer is, never." She smirked and kissed his exposed chest.

"Exactly. So, what do you say? We can get away to Jamaica or the Bahamas for a few days and forget about wedding plans and national security."

"That is the best idea I've heard in a very long time."


	23. Chapter 23

There was something about the knowledge of going on vacation that could always cause happiness and joy even in the most stressful situations. Just the idea, the mere thought, of being in some tropical paradise alone with Lily was enough to help Martin deal with the massive amounts of paperwork and phone calls his new assignment required before he was finally told by Vivian to grab his ready bag. It was only a trip to Kentucky, but it was away from his desk and the stacks of files.

Lily knew that the summer months would be slow. Senators rarely hear from constituents when constituents are away while the children are out of school. What she didn't know was how Martin was going to handle the downtime. She'd known from the moment they'd reconnected almost two years before that he was born to be a field agent. He loved the adrenaline rush of having a life or death situation, of having a deadline, of kicking in a door with his gun drawn. What he didn't love was what he was doing. The endless days spent calling leads instead of going in person, looking through bank records, and watching hours of surveillance footage. He loved her, so he suffered silently for two weeks before he was finally sent to Kentucky to investigate a rebel biker gang accused of selling weapons to certain foreign enemies. She didn't think he could have handled another minute chained to a cubicle.

"The Nassau British Colonial Resort is on line one." Diane's voice came through the intercom.

"Andréa." Lily leaned back in her office chair and smiled for the first time since Martin's plane had taken off that morning. "How are things in paradise?"

"As beautiful as ever." The resort manager hid her excitement well, but she was ecstatic that Lillian Anderson, an Ambassador's daughter and a person of influence in Congress, was calling. Four years ago, she'd help to clear up a mix up with her room and they had become friendly. Lily had even recommended the resort to several senators and other members of Congress. So, her phone call meant business, business that could make her fiscal year.

Martin did everything he could to stretch the investigation, but it was clear after a week that there was no credence to the tip they'd received. At least they made the senator look good, he and his partner laughed on the way back to the airport. There was nothing keeping him from the files he'd left piled on the edge of his desk. It wasn't a task that he was looking forward to, but the calendar Lily had subtly left on his desk with the date they left for vacation circled, made him smile.

"Don't get comfortable." Lily said as she walked into the office behind Martin and closed the door. "I need everyone to stop what they are doing and listen." She waited for all the agents to do as they were told and was surprised at how fast it was accomplished. "I just got a phone call from Senator George. His two girls were picked up from school two hours ago and never made it home. Agent Johnson," she turned to look at her lead agent, "you and Agent Fitzgerald are to run point on this as you both come from Missing Persons. I will be available to get you anything you need out of a federal court or to do any introductions on the Hill that may need to be made. To the rest of you, there are no other cases in this office until Shannon and Elizabeth are found."

"Yes, Ma'am." It was in unison and made her wish she could keep the group that was standing in front of her.

"Thank you. Agent Johnson, they are all yours." The team of agents fell in line as Vivian began handing out orders.

"We're going to need to speak with the family." Martin said as he walked up to her. "And we're going to need to put a trap and trace on their phones. Does Todd know this?"

"I don't know, but I will be there to convince him. Let me grab my purse and we'll head over there."

"Who reported them missing?" He asked as they walked.

"Todd's wife, Charlotte, got worried when the nanny didn't return home with the girls and wouldn't answer her cell phone."

"So they could have just gone to the park or a friend's house and this is all for nothing."

"No, Martin, Metro PD all ready checked all the parks on the route from the school to the house and Charlotte called all of the girls' friends before she called PD. So, no, this isn't all for nothing."

"I had to ask, Lil."

"I know and I'm glad that you asked me and not Charlotte or Todd."

The air in the stately Virginia manor was full of anxiety and fear. While valid, it turned the normally warm and inviting décor cold and hard. Martin noticed that very few lights were turned on where it was normal for every light in every hallway to be aglow as he and Lily were shown to the sitting area where their friends sat on an antique couch battling tears.

"Martin," Todd stood up and extended his hand, "thank God you've been assigned to this."

"I would have requested it even if I hadn't been."

"Lily, thank you for coming." Charlotte George hugged her friends. A petite woman with delicate features, who was always perfectly put together, suddenly was falling apart. The quintessential political wife had wisps of her long brown hair was falling out of the signature bun, black streaks down her cheeks from where her mascara had run, and, while only five years older than Lily, she looked as though she had aged twenty years.

"Charlotte, I wouldn't be anywhere else." She kissed her cheek. "And I can tell you from experience that Martin and Agent Johnson are the best. They will do everything in their power to bring Shannon and Elizabeth home safe."

"That's why they are your investigators." Todd forced a sad smile. "So, how do we do this? I've already called my financial advisor and made ransom ready, but we haven't gotten the phone call yet. It's been almost three hours."

For a man used to being in control and having people catering to him, Todd was actually easy to convince with everything Martin wanted their techs to do. It was obvious to him that Todd and Charlotte were willing to do whatever they had to do to get their girls back. Those girls were their life. Martin knew that from the first moment he'd been introduced back when he and Lily were first getting serious. Shannon and Elizabeth were not the typical children who were dumped on nannies and brought around for photo ops and press conferences. They were truly the apples of their parents' eyes and Martin knew the only problem was going to be getting Todd and Charlotte to trust him enough to stay out of the investigation.


	24. Chapter 24

"What is going on?!" Charlotte screamed three hours later. "Why won't anyone talk to me?" It was nine, the girls' bedtime, and they weren't home yet. No one, not even Martin, would tell them what was going on, and the frustration, worry, and guilt became too much.

"Shh, Charlotte," Lily placed her hand on her shoulder, "I know this is tough, but you have to have faith. Agent Johnson, Martin, and the entire team are running down every bit of information. They will bring them home safe. We have to believe that."

"Lil, can I see you for a minute?" Martin called her over after he got off the phone.

"What? What's going on? What do you know?" Charlotte almost tackled him.

"I'll bring you up to speed in a minute, Mrs. George. Just let me speak to Lily."

"Don't do that, Martin." Lily politely scolded when they were alone in the hallway. "Don't there-there her. She's your friend and she's falling apart."

"Yeah, well, so is this case, Lil. We've exhausted every lead, every tip, that has come up and we're getting nothing, but I agree with what Viv said an hour ago. These guys are good, but they don't know missing persons. I really do think that we should call in Jack, Danny, Sam, and Elena."

"Martin, this is a senator's family."

"We've handled high profile cases before and resolved them with the kids coming back unharmed."

"We've had this discussion before, Martin. Jack has no tact and while his methods work, they are not always the most legal solutions. This has to be handled by the book because we are under a very large microscope held by the press. There cannot be even a hint of impropriety. Viv and you are more than capable of resolving this with a positive outcome. Now, tell me what you need and I will strong arm a warrant."

He sighed. He loved her, but she could be so stubborn and narrow-minded. In her mind, Jack Malone was a rogue agent who everyone hated to love. His methods were over the line occasionally, but he got results, results that reunited families, and they needed results, and the trained agents, at that moment.

Lily understood what Martin was saying, but she also understood what it would look like if they were to call in Jack Malone and the rest of the team. It would give Vivian a black eye, the appearance that she couldn't handle the investigation, and she didn't need that. Suffering a blemish on like that would take years to correct.

Vivian told Martin to go home to shower and get some rest around three the next morning and he really couldn't argue. He was exhausted and they were still no closer to finding Shannon and Elizabeth than they were twelve hours before. When he walked into Lily's apartment, he found her asleep on the couch still fully dressed, a file open on her lap, and a law book over her chest. This case had taken its toll on her as well, though he hadn't seen it until that moment. She was trying to walk a tightrope. Todd was her friend but he was also a US Senator. She couldn't risk a misstep given how high profile the case was, but she wanted to do everything in her power to find her godchildren. As he drove home, he finally understood why she couldn't be seen bringing in outside agents.

"I called in Agents Taylor and Spade. They'll be here in the morning." Lily mumbled as she undressed.

"I thought you said,"

"You and Viv need the bodies and I specifically requested that Jack Malone not come down."

"We could really use him, but thank you, Lil."

Four hours of sleep was not nearly enough to be as alert as she needed to be, but it was all she was going to get. There were two new agents coming who had to be briefed, clearance, and introduced to Todd and Charlotte because that was the only way the two girls were coming home. "Samantha, Danny, thank you for coming."

"Hi Lily." Samantha smiled a professional smile as she and Danny were shown into the well-dressed and appointed office. "I wish I could say it was good to be here."

"It will be as soon as we find these girls." She forced a smile. "Before I take you over to the senator's house, I need your assurances that there will be no issues reporting to me or Vivian and this investigation will continue to run by the book. Stepping through that office door placed you in one of the world's largest fish bowls. Everything you do will be noticed and over-analyzed. Even if you don't see cameras, expect that there is a sleazy reporter behind every tree. It is because of these facts that you were selected to join this investigation." She watched Danny smirk. "You think I'm laying it on thick?"

"A little. Lily, we are here to do a job. To bring the missing kids home safe. Our job isn't going to change just because these are the daughters of a US senator."

"Actually, your job does change within the beltway. There are questions that are inappropriate to ask Senator George, places that you will not be allowed to go regardless of where the investigation leads, and you need to remember that every question you ask will be reported about on the eleven o'clock news. If you ask a question or investigate an area that may be embarrassing to the senator and his family, your career with the Bureau will be over and you will not be able to get another job in the law enforcement arena. Not even a mall will hire you. Am I making myself clear?"

"Who will we be asking the embarrassing questions to?" Samantha questioned.

"Myself or Senator George's aide, Roger, but I do believe that Agent Johnson has already asked the hard questions."

"I'm sure she has. When will we be meeting up with her and Martin?"

"Right now. Follow me."

Vivian met the Mercedes sedan in the driveway of the old Virginia estate. She'd gotten used to seeing Lily arriving in that car and knew who she had brought with her that particular morning and she was grateful. The conversation the previous night between the two of them had been eye opening. Lily had been hesitant to bring any agents from another team in for fear that it would tarnish Vivian's reputation. At that point, working on the case they were working, Vivian hadn't much cared about her reputation. She needed trained agents.

"Morning, Lil." Todd managed leaning against the kitchen island staring at his coffee cup. "Any news?"

"I just got here. I'll let you know after I talk to Vivian and Martin." Her smile was weak as she touched his arm, all of her old feelings of friendship and not professional distance taking over. "We brought two more Missing Persons agents down from New York this morning. I'm sure that they will find something. Hang in there, Todd."

He couldn't help himself. He hugged her. At that moment, he wasn't a senator, he was a father, and she wasn't his subordinate, she was his friend. "Lil, I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

Martin watched Lily rub Todd's back as he fell apart. When they first started dating, he'd gotten jealous of how much time she was spending with Todd George, given that he was her ex, but he'd come to see that there was nothing between them. At least there was nothing she reciprocated. It was obvious at times that he was still in love with her, but Lily thought of him as nothing more than a good friend and colleague. "Lily, can I see you for a minute?"

"I'm just going to get brought up to speed. I'll be right back." She found Todd's eyes and saw a great sadness as he touched her cheek. "I promise."

"No, Lily, there's something I need to discuss with Martin first. It's time. I just need you to promise me that if this comes out, you won't think any less of me."

"Todd, what is it?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you, Lil. I just can't."

"But you can tell Martin? What's going on?"

It suddenly hit him what Todd wanted to talk about. Ever since the girls had been taken, Todd hadn't wanted to speak to anyone besides Lily. There was only one topic that could get him to push her away. "It's OK, Lily. Why don't you go find Charlotte and see how she's doing?"

"You know what he's talking about, don't you?"

"Yes, Honey, I do." When he looked into her eyes, he saw a flash of recognition, but she it quickly faded. "Please, go check on Charlotte."

"Now she knows." Todd fought tears and turned his back after Lily left the room, closing the door behind her. "This day just keeps getting better."

"She doesn't know, Senator. I'm sure she thinks it's just an affair. Do you want to tell me why you risked her finding out?"

"Because I slipped. About two months ago, I sprained my ankle playing tennis and two Motrin just wasn't cutting it. I had a moment of weakness and had Roger call the guy who takes care of The Hill. I didn't even think about it until I found the empty bottle in my office yesterday."

"Do you owe him money?"

"No." Todd turned around, the fire back in him. "I always pay my debts."

"Has he threatened you?"

"I don't know, but if he found out who Roger worked for," he let his statement fade. "I have a squeaky clean image and a tough drug policy. I'd be an easy target." He took a breath. "That was two months ago, Martin. Do you really think this has anything to do with the girls' disappearance?"

"I don't know, but I have to run this down, and it would have been nice to know this yesterday." He pulled out his notepad. "I need you to write down this guy's information."

"You can't tell him I sent you. If he's not involved, I don't want him thinking I sent the FBI after him." The fear twisted his stomach into a knot. "Martin,"

"We'll be as discreet as we can be, Todd, but we will also do what we have to do to get your girls back home."

He nodded. "Talk to Roger. He knows all the information."

"He told you about that?" Roger looked at Martin shocked. He'd been with Senator George for five years and had only found out about his addiction when he'd been sent to fetch a more powerful painkiller than Advil. "Why would he tell you that?"

"Roger," Danny spoke up, "you need to focus here. All you need to know is that we know, we're not interested in busting you for anything, and we need that information. OK?"

Martin smirked. It was so good to work with someone who wasn't interested in being politically correct again. "Roger, please, this is vital to the girls' safety. Where do we find this supplier?"

"The Lola Grill over on F Street. He sits at the end of the bar after four in the afternoon." The lanky overachiever in the designer suit wrote all the information in Martin's notepad.

"Great, now, do you think this guy knew who you were running your errand for?" Danny questioned.

"No, no, not at all. I would go to him for other senators and when Senator George approached me, I just added it into the order. He never had any idea nor did he care." He looked at the two agents with concern. "Am I going to lose my job?"

"Not today, but you might want to just say no the next time someone asks you to run that errand."

Martin stifled a laugh as Roger scurried away after Danny's comment. "How do you want to play this? We could go over now and wake him up."

"That might tip our hand. Little Roger doesn't even know his real name so I don't know how we are going to find his apartment. Something tells me there are a lot of Mr. Smiths even in the D.C. phonebook."

His laugh was forgotten when a car matching the description of the nanny's vehicle turned into the driveway. "Get out of the car!" Drawing their weapons, he and Danny approached the car. "Shut off the engine and get out of the car slowly!"

"What's going on?" The girl said in a thick Southern drawl.

Martin grabbed her and pushed her against the hood. "Where are they? Where are the girls?"

"I dropped them off at camp."

"You dropped them off at camp?" Danny leaned down to stare at the crazy woman. "What camp?"

"Camp Jefferson over in Fairfax. They wanted to go and I thought it was good for them to get away, to be with kids their own age."

"Did it enter your head that wasn't your decision?" Martin pulled her up and threw her at another agent. "Get her out of here."

Lily ran out from the kitchen when the commotion started and watched in shock as the nanny was arrested. "Gloria? How could you? You were a member of the family?" She shook her head before addressing the agent escorting the twenty-something blonde. "Take her to my office. I'll handle this."

Virginia had some beautiful country, but Martin never saw it. Doing sixty on the backroads with the lights and sirens going on the FBI signature sedan wasn't conducive to taking in the sights. This was the best information they had to get the girls back. Vivian had called when they pulled away from the house and confirmed that Shannon and Elizabeth were there. That had been all they needed to hear. He'd stepped on the accelerator and the Bureau-issued Impala had answered with a smooth and steady increase in power and speed that hadn't cooled until he'd needed to turn into the camp's main gate.

"Uncle Martin!" Both girls cried out in unison and ran to the familiar man in a suit.

"Hey. Are you guys alright?" He gave both of the girls a quick once over before he knelt to hug them, making sure there were no bruises or cuts that a paramedic might need to look at them for. "We're going to get you home now. Your parents are waiting."

"Why did Gloria bring us here? We hated it here." The older girl, Shannon, said through her tears.

"I know you did, Sweetheart, but it's over now. C'mon, let's go home."

"Are Mom and Daddy mad at us?"

"No one is mad at you. They both love you very much and can't wait to see you."

"I told Shannon you and Auntie Lily would come to find us. I told her." The five-year-old, Elizabeth, crudely wiped her face as they walked out to the waiting car.

"I'm sure you did, Lizzie, and you were right because your Auntie Lily is the one who asked me to come find you. All of us love you both a whole lot and very happy you are safe." He smiled and touched the girl's head.

"I want to ride with you, Uncle Martin." Shannon started crying again when Vivian went to put the girls in another sedan. "Why can't we ride with you?"

"Because I need to go help Lily with Gloria right now and then the two of us are going to be over tomorrow to see you. OK?"

"I guess."

Todd and Charlotte both cried when the girls walked though the threshold to the grand estate and knelt down to embrace both at once. Vivian smiled and backed out slowly, not wanting to ruin the reuniting, thinking of her own son back in New York. Lily had given the team the weekend off and Vivian suddenly thought she'd catch an Amtrak to Penn Station.


End file.
